


The Lengths in which We Ramble

by Nachos89



Series: Ramblers [3]
Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Imprisonment, Love, Psychological Torture, Sex, Torture, missing Richie, nothing ever seems to go as planned, pregnant kate, super friends back at it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-07-31 07:56:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20111737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nachos89/pseuds/Nachos89
Summary: This third installment for my Ramblers series finds the gang at the Jacknife, preparing for the upcoming nuptials, and awaiting the birth of the baby Gecko. They are trying to live the carefree, crime free, and drama free life Kate made crystal clear she wanted, but sometimes things just don’t work out like expected. What happens when Richie and Kisa go missing?





	1. The Tag Team of Responsibility and Preparedness

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the third part of my Ramblers series. As with the two previous stories, it starts out a little fluffy, but there will be mystery, drama, violence, and surprises along the way. Hope you enjoy!

3 Moon’s Ago

A young, dark haired man was sitting on a bar stool in a dingy bar in small town Texas. He threw back the last of his drink, said goodbye to the bartender, and made his way to the door. He pushed it open and was met by the harsh lights of the parking lot, lighting up the nearly pitch blackness of the night. He wavered slightly as he made his way to his truck, which was parked at the far end of the lot. 

He stumbled for his keys a bit when he made it to his truck, he had a hard time getting them out of his pocket. When he finally managed to get them out, he fumbled to get them in the keyhole. The near darkness and perhaps one drink too many was making it more difficult than it should be. He dropped them, cussed, then bent to pick them back up.

He made his way back up, keys in hand, and prepared for his second attempt. This time he managed to get the keys in the keyhole. That’s when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. 

“Ow,” he said, reaching for the spot that stung.

Next, all was black.

The young man woke up some time later, eyes blurry from the drink he supposed. He wasn’t sure how he made it home, he couldn’t remember any part of the drive. He thought he should consider himself lucky that he made it in one piece, but when he thought about it, he didn’t drink enough to blackout. Sure it might have been enough that he shouldn’t have driven home, but that didn’t explain why he remembered nothing after the parking lot.

That’s when he remembered the sharp pain in his neck, he reached for the spot one more time, rubbing it. He was now fully awake as he tried to piece everything together. Now, with eyes no longer blurry, and a mind as sharp as it should be, he looked around, and he realized he wasn’t in his room like he thought he was. In fact, he was nowhere he had ever been before.

He wasn’t safe in his bed, he was lying on the floor, curled in the fetal position. The floor was a cold metal, and he was in some sort of a cage. No, it was more like a tiny jail cell, with metal bars from floor to ceiling. Maybe he was arrested for drunk driving, he thought. But there was no cot in this cell, just the empty floor and a metal toilet in the corner. It didn’t look like any jail cell he had seen before, and he should know, he’s been in several.

When he looked around the dim, lightless cell, he realized the only light came from the hall outside it. When he looked outside his cell and into the hallway for the first time, he realized he wasn’t alone. 

He got up to take a look, wobbling as if his legs were still weak from whatever it was that knocked him out. He grabbed the bars with his hands and peered out. There were many cages in a row, just like his. They were filled with others as far as his eyes could see. 

“What the fuck,” he mumbled to himself. Then he tried to get the attention of one of the people around him. “Hey. Where the fuck are we?”

Nobody answered, nobody even looked in his direction. It was like they didn’t even hear him, or see him. 

“Hey!” He shouted louder, hoping to get some sort of reaction.

The man in the cell across from him looked up from where he sat in the dark back corner of his cell. His eyes were glowing a vivid green. He stared at the newcomer and hissed as he moved into the light, revealing Culebra fangs. 

Then there was a collective hissing and growling from around him. The young man looked around to see many glowing eyes from the dark corners of the surrounding cells.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early evening, and Kate and Richie were snuggled up on the chaise in the living room, with her sitting between his legs, resting her head on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, and he would periodically kiss or nuzzle her head. Oh how Kate loved when he did that. She would press back into him and sigh in content, smiling ear to ear.

They were watching a documentary about WW1. Obviously it was Richie’s turn to choose what they would be watching, but Kate honestly didn’t care. She found she actually didn’t mind most of the documentaries he chose in his need to forever learn more about everything. Besides, it wasn’t all the time, he also liked classic movies, which he often chose instead. And honestly, Kate did most of the choosing anyway because he didn’t usually care what they watched as long as they were together, so she had no problem letting him pick when he actually wanted to watch something in particular.

If Kate was truly honest with herself, she felt the same way he did. It was the time spent together that really mattered, not want they were doing. She loved him, and always wanted to be around him. Besides, she valued his opinions, wants, and needs, so what did a little time watching another documentary really matter? It was what he wanted, and he was always doing things for her, so she figured she should give in return. 

She always liked when Richie got excited about something, and she liked the little, satisfied smile he always got when she told him that his choice sounded interesting. He was a simple creature, just looking for someone to appreciate the things he liked, and Kate was happy to oblige. And regardless of what they watched, the biggest benefit of all was spending the night wrapped in his arms, which is what she wanted more than anything. So a WW1 documentary it was.

It was peaceful now that it was just the two of them. Well, three of them if you included the baby now growing in her womb, but who was counting. Seth was up in the bar running things, giving them some precious time alone together, and Al was off doing whatever it was she did in her free time. 

It was only two weeks ago that Kate found out she was pregnant, which sent Al running to Huston in an effort to save Kate and Richie’s relationship. It was a success, and they were stronger than ever. But in an effort to assist however necessary, Al stayed around for the time being. She was ultra supportive, and a great comfort to Kate, who was just trying to get used to the prospect of being someone’s mom. But still, at times she could be a little overwhelming. 

That being said, Al wasn’t a true pain in the ass. She was always there when Kate needed her, and sometimes when she didn’t, but she also kept her distance often. She left Kate and Richie to themselves, which they desperately needed at times. Al had her own things to worry about. She left Chicago on extremely short notice, leaving Jackie to run the cafe by herself for another three weeks. She also left Sean, who she missed dearly. But this was important to her, and she wanted to show her support and help however she could.

Kate, and even Richie, were both truly grateful for that. Hell, she saved their relationship by spending the better part of two days researching, and making calls to everyone she could to get them an answer for how Kate got pregnant in the first place. She dropped everything for them, and flew out here to be there for them. They might have only known her for just under a year, but she was proving to be one of the most loyal and trustworthy friends Kate could have ever asked for. And that was truly special to her.

Al was up before Richie as usual today, and out the door within an hour of making her appearance for the day. She had only briefly talked to Kate and Seth before she left. She hadn’t told them what she would be doing all day, just that she wouldn’t be back for several hours. They hadn’t heard from her since, but it wasn’t like she couldn’t take care of herself, so they weren’t worried. 

Richie was nuzzling the top of Kate’s head, giving her soft, little kisses again, and Kate was relishing the feeling, loving every second. Yes their sex life was important to her, and it was perfect, but sometimes it was the little things like this that really made their relationship for her. He was sweet, romantic, and loving, and he was all hers. 

Those qualities weren’t something most people would think the younger Gecko would possess, but Kate knew better. He was always good to her, since the very first time they met, regardless of how awful the situation really was. He was sweet and gentle to her. He trusted her, and she trusted him. She saw a different side to him than others did, always seeing who he really was on the inside. In her mind, she couldn’t have asked for a better man to call her own, or call father to her child. This is what she always dreamt of, and it was finally happening. She was getting the happy little family she always wanted.

Kate leaned up and looked Richie in the eyes. She smiled at him, thinking about how perfect this night really was. Hell, how perfect everything really was. He smiled back, then leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

Just then, the door flung open as Al pushed her way through. She was carrying a big box and several bags, heading for the attached kitchen. She was also somehow managing to carry all that crap while also holding her phone to her ear. 

From what Kate could tell, she was talking to Sean, which wasn’t that unexpected. She was always on the phone with him in the evenings, and texted him periodically throughout the day. Kate thought it was cute how they couldn’t seem to stay away from one another, even with the long distance that now separated them. They really loved one another, and Kate thought they both really deserved that.

When she placed everything on the counter-top, she looked through to Kate and Richie on the chaise, nodded, smiled, and told Sean she had to go. She then promised to call back later tonight, and told him she loved him before hanging up.

“Hey guys,” she said with a smile. “I got you something.”

“Oh?” Asked Kate.

“Yep,” Al smiled back.

“What is it?” Asked Kate.

“A juicer,” she said with a giant grin.

“A juicer?” Asked Richie, raising his brow in question. 

“Yeah, a juicer. You can consider it like an early wedding gift.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said. “But why would we need a juicer? We don’t do a lot of juicing.”

“Well you should,” said Al. “It’s a good way to pack a lot of added nutrients into your diet, and Kate, you really need that right now.” She paused. “I mean honestly, it’s not my first time here, and Kate, your diet sucks.”

“Hey!” Said Kate. “It doesn’t suck.”

“Yes it does,” said Al. “You eat like a bird, skipping meals and picking at your food. And half of what you eat comes from the bar upstairs.”

“She has a point,” said Richie.

“Like you eat any better?” Asked Kate sarcastically.

He just shrugged.

“Look,” said Al. “You’ve got someone else to think about now, and you need to start thinking about how everything you do affects this little person. Now is the time to prep. To start him or her on a good and healthy path. We need to work on your diet to make sure the baby is getting everything it needs. I’m not trying to be a bitch, Kate. Just trying to look out for you, and the little baby Gecko living inside you.”

Kate thought about it. She sighed, Al had a point. She wanted to do things right. This baby meant everything to her, and she wanted to do whatever she could for him or her. If it meant changing a few things for the meantime, then so be it.

“What do you have in mind, Al?” She asked.

“Glad you asked,” she winked, with a smile. “I’ve been thinking a lot the last few days, and doing a lot of research on the subject. I was thinking of coming up with a list of healthy and easy meals for you to make during your pregnancy. I mean, I can cook for you until I leave Sunday, but after that it’s up to you two. So I figured easy and quick would be the way to go.”

“And where exactly does this juicer come in?” Asked Richie.

“I’ve developed a recipe of a juice I think you should drink throughout the pregnancy. A good diet does not just include what you eat. It also includes what you drink. So obviously lots of water, and no more coffee, Little Miss Kate. That’s too much caffeine, and it isn’t good for the baby.”

“What?!” Asked Kate. “No. How will I get through the morning?”

“I suggest tea, it has less caffeine,” said Al. “Or maybe just a small cup of coffee when you really need it. But I honestly think you should have this juice with your breakfast. And I’m talking a real breakfast, Kate. Not just toast or English muffins. Not Pop Tarts or Lucky Charms either.”

“But I like English muffins,” Kate pouted. “And Lucky Charms.”

“I know,” said Al, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “And you can still have them, just not every day, and you should try to get more healthier items in there as well. Maybe some fruit, or yogurt. Perhaps some oatmeal, or eggs once in awhile. You know, less carbs, more nutrients.”

“Fine,” huffed Kate. “I’ll try to add fruit and stuff, but I hate oatmeal. My mom made us eat it all the time when we were going up. I haven’t touched it in years.”

“Maybe she didn’t make it right,” laughed Al. “I hated it growing up too, my mom made it plain when she made it. But I add fruit and nuts to mine now, with a little honey. Sometimes chocolate and coconut if I’m craving it. I’ll make some before I leave. You try it and see what you think. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it, but you should at least try it.”

“Okay, but I make no promises.”

“Deal.”

“What exactly is in this juice you’re proposing?” Asked Richie, changing the subject. “I’ve been doing a bit of research on the subject as well, and agree we should start looking into and preparing for the baby as soon as possible.”

That was news to Kate. She had no idea he was looking into healthy pregnancy and baby stuff. Although knowing him, it wasn’t exactly shocking. If there was one thing Richie liked to do, it was to learn more about things he didn’t know about. He was like a sponge, absorbing information wherever he was. And she was sure he didn’t know much about babies up until this point, so it made sense. Plus, he was so excited about their baby, and oddly nervous. She knew he obsessed about things when he didn’t understand them, so she should have figured he would try to figure it all out as soon as possible.

“Well it’s a green drink with an iced green tea base,” said Al. “With ginger, lemon, spinach, kale, cucumbers, yellow carrots, and wheat grass. I got everything here so we can try it out tonight, see how we like it.”

“Not gonna lie,” smiled Kate. “That doesn’t sound super appealing.”

“It also has pineapples and bananas,” said Al, wagging her brows and giving her best salesperson smile. “They’ll add even more nutrients to it, plus add flavor. Hopefully they’ll be strong enough to overpower the wheat grass, so it doesn’t taste like yard clippings.”

“Hopefully?” Laughed Kate.

“Why don’t we just try it,” said Richie. “With the fruit in it, it probably won’t be terrible, and it has lots of good stuff in it for you and the baby.”

“Of course I’ll try it. But I want you to as well.”

“If that’s what you want, Katie, then I will. I think it’ll be fine though.”

“Great,” smiled Al. “I’ll test it out with you too. If it’s any good, maybe I’ll add it to the menu at work. I’m always looking for new things to spice it up. Speaking of menus though, perhaps tomorrow we can really get started on a menu for you, Kate. I already have some ideas for you.”

“Of course you do,” Kate smiled back. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Three days later, Al was getting ready to leave. She had one more night before she left, but that didn’t mean she didn’t already have a full length menu ready for Kate’s pregnancy. In fact, she and Richie made a weekly meal schedule for Kate to follow. He even promised to do most of the cooking after Al left. He didn’t want Kate to have to do all the work, and he just wanted everything to go well for her and the baby.

Richie was just as, if not more serious than Al was about Kate having a healthy pregnancy. He even set up a routine of light exercises for her to do daily, and told her he would do them with her if she wanted.

The thought of him walking the bar grounds several times a day with her was nice, even if he needed to wear his sun gear. And the thought of someone stretching and lifting weights with her was comforting. But the thought of him doing prenatal yoga with her was beyond funny, and she couldn’t wait to see it. Although he was pretty agile for a man of his size, so Kate was hoping he wouldn’t somehow manage to make her look like the idiot.

The diet Al came up with for Kate was based a lot in Mediterranean-like meal plans. It wasn’t truly shocking to any of them. One, the Mediterranean diet was a good choice for anyone, pregnant or not, and two, Al was from Italy. She ate like that growing up, and constantly cooked like that anyway. Of course she would see the benefit to Kate bringing more of that into her pregnancy, and life in general. And Kate had to admit, the food actually sounded, and so far tasted, really good, so she wasn’t complaining. 

She tried the juice Al was talking about, and it wasn’t actually too bad. While there was still a slight grass taste to it, the pineapple and banana actually did a pretty good job hiding it. So Al had made it for them all with their breakfast the past three days. Even Seth, who at first was really opposed to it, ended up admitting it wasn’t that bad.

Al had made different, but equally healthy breakfasts the last three days. She wanted to show Kate that there were many varieties, and good options to choose from in this new pregnancy menu she came up with. She made fruit and yogurt parfaits with a side of multigrain toast one day. She made egg white omelettes filled with veggies another day. And this morning she made Kate the infamous oatmeal. Kate had to admit, the chocolate and coconut mixture wasn’t all that bad, and while she definitely wouldn’t eat it often, she could see herself eating it once and awhile.

Every day Al and Richie would throw out some new or interesting facts about babies or pregnancy in general when talking to Kate. And while Al was super into the nutritional aspects and babies in general, Richie was more about the developmental side of things. He was constantly updating Kate about what the baby looks like now, what it will look like in a few weeks, what develops at what times, when to expect certain things, and so on. To Kate, he seemed simply fascinated by the process of a person growing in the womb. He was always excited to share what he read, and he rambled like he usually did when he started talking. He was being so damn cute about the whole thing, Kate found herself smiling at him more and more.

But honestly though, between the two of them, it was getting a bit overwhelming for her. They were constantly bombarding her with new facts and information, and it was a bit much. But she knew it was all coming from a good place, so she just let them do what they had to. She learned more about pregnancy from Al and Richie in the last two weeks than she ever would have by reading any of those baby books anyway. It saved her a ton of unwanted reading.

Currently, Al was in the kitchen with Richie helping him make dinner for tonight. She was showing him exactly what to do to replicate it later, step by step. She was a little harsh in her training with him, definitely harsher than she was with Kate, but she was always a perfectionist, and Kate just let her take the lead as much as possible. She knew the kitchen was Al’s domain, and while she enjoyed teaching people what she knew, she liked running show. Richie on the other hand, had a hard time backing off and letting her be the boss, so things weren’t going as smooth as it did with Kate.

He kept telling Al he wasn’t an idiot, so she could stop babying him. He thought she was dumbing it down like he wasn’t understanding, but she kept explaining that she wasn’t trying to, and continued going over every little detail the only way she knew how. Kate could tell it was really getting under his skin, and on more than one occasion, she thought Al was actually doing it on purpose. For whatever reason, she sometimes really seemed to like messing with him. It was Seth-like in the way that she seemed to find what buttons to push, and do it repeatedly. It was playful, but only because it was funny to her to see him overreact. 

He never seemed to learn though, because Kate had been dealing with this behavior since she moved in with the Geckos after Amaru. Seth was always pushing, and Richie always took the bait. How many times she pointed this out to him, she couldn’t even count, yet nothing ever changed. In a weird way, she figured the constant arguing and bickering was how they showed they cared about each other. She had a strong feeling that it was the same with Al, so she usually just left it alone unless it got really bad. It was the same cutoff point she had with Seth, let them go until it was too much.

“I know how to boil water, Al,” shouted Richie, angrily.

“Maybe,” she said back. “But I noticed you didn’t add enough salt, Richard. That’s an important step. It’s your only chance to season the pasta itself. That’s why I also add fresh garlic, which you would know if you would stop interrupting me.”

“Well why don’t you just say that?” He yelled. “You keep talking about the fucking water like I’m doing it wrong.”

“I’m just trying to teach you the proper way to work around the kitchen. It’s not my fault you’re thick-skulled and argumentative.”

“I’m not argumentative,” he shouted back. “You’re over explaining things like I’m a moron, and it’s pissing me off.”

“Do you want to learn or not?” She yelled back.

“Of course I do. I just don’t need to be taught like a fourth grader. I’ve cooked before, Al. You’ve seen it, you’ve eaten it. I’m not that bad a cook. Right Kate?” He asked, looking up at Kate as she sat on the living room couch.

“Of course not, baby,” she said with a smile. “You’re a great cook.”

“See,” he said, giving Al a serious look of contempt. 

“But apparently not a great sous chef,” said Al, rolling her eyes. “You’re not paying attention.”

“Children!” Shouted Kate. “Play nice, would ya.”

They both had the decency to look mildly embarrassed at having to be reprimanded for their behavior. They tried playing nice, as Kate put it. It lasted a bit, then Al yelled something about him burning her octopus, and it started all over again.

Listening to them argue was getting to be just about enough for Kate, so she left for greener pastures. She met Seth up in the bar. As usual, he was sitting in one of the booths, eating a burger and going over books.

“You know you have an office for that,” smirked Kate as she joined him in the booth.

“Richie doesn’t like when I eat in it, and I hate listening to him bitch, so here I am,” he paused. “Get enough of the cooking lesson? Not going as smoothly as you would like, huh?”

“Not quite,” said Kate, rolling her eyes.

“They fighting yet?”

“Mostly just arguing, but I wouldn’t put a physical fight past them,” she smirked. “He burnt her octopus.”

“Thems fighin’ words,” chuckled Seth. “You know how she gets about food. I’ve seen wars started for less.”

“True, but it’s not all him. She pushes his buttons like you do, and I think she likes it just as much as you do too.”

“That’s my girl,” he smirked back. “Richie needs someone to pull that gigantic head of his out of his ass every now and then. Just glad it doesn’t always have to be me.”

“Would you stop,” said Kate, rolling her eyes. “He’s not that bad.”

“He can get pretty full of himself, Kate.”

“And you don’t?” Laughed Kate. “Out of the two of you, I think you’re the worst.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” said Seth, raising a brow and challenging her to challenge him back.

“Whatever,” said Kate, rolling eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today. “I’m just glad to get away for a bit. I love them, but they’re driving me nuts.”

“It’s just when they’re cooking, Kate,” laughed Seth. “They’ll be fine by the time dinner's served.”

“I know,” said Kate, giving him a sarcastic look. “I’m not worried about it. But I’m not just talking about their arguing.”

“What else are you talking about then?”

“Just in general,” she sighed. “They’re both driving me nuts in general.”

“Oh? How so?”

“All day it’s baby this, baby that, healthy pregnancy blah blah blah. It’s great info, but I need a break.”

“Nice to know I’m not the only one finding it a bit much,” smirked Seth.

“I know,” sighed Kate. “It is a bit much. They’re going a little overboard with the whole thing. But I know it’s just because they care. They both just want everything to go perfectly, so I can’t even be mad about it.”

“You can get mad about it if you want,” laughed Seth. “You’re the pregnant one. Just use hormones as an excuse or something. I’m the one who can’t say anything. Then I’m just being an asshole.”

“You’re not an asshole, Seth.”

“Really?! You call me that more than anyone,” he smirked.

“About this,” said Kate, giving him a look. “You’re not an asshole about this.”

“I’ll take it,” he shrugged. “But you know, overall it’s nice to see Richie so excited about something. He’s just really, really excited about this baby.”

“I know,” smiled Kate. “So am I. I never thought we could have one.”

“No one did. Especially not Richie. Who, I didn’t know by the way, desperately wanted to give you one, and was depressed that he couldn’t. I never even knew he wanted kids. We talked about it a few times over the years you know, like after I married Vanessa. He asked if I wanted the whole wife and kids thing, and when I really thought about it, I did. I told him that eventually I thought it would be nice. He said it wasn’t for him, but I always kinda thought it was because he didn’t think it would happen for him. You know? But then he found you, and I think he finally let himself admit, even to himself, that that’s what he wanted all along.”

“I think so too,” said Kate, with a glimmer in her eye. “That’s why I think it’s so important to him. He’s finally getting what he always secretly wanted, a family of his own. And I love him for that.” She paused briefly, let out a soft laugh. “Still can’t figure out why Al’s freaking out so much though.”

“I think she’s just living vicariously through you,” smiled Seth.

“Maybe. Do you think she ever wanted a kid of her own?”

“Yeah. I think she did.”

“You know I never really thought about that until I saw her with Emily. She was so sweet with her, it was like watching a different person using Al’s body. I feel bad. She would be a great mom if she could have kids, and Sean would be a great dad too.”

“I suppose. If she could stop being a total perv long enough, she could be,” he smiled back.

“Do you think she still thinks about that? About being a mom?”

“I think she’s thought about that every day of her life,” said Seth, completely seriously. “Especially since she met Sean.”

“Really?” Asked Kate. “You think so?”

“I would imagine losing the only baby you ever would have had would do that to you.”

“What?! What are you talking about?!”

“The miscarriage,” said Seth, suddenly not sure if he should have said anything at all.

“Miscarriage?! She never said anything to me about a miscarriage!”

“Yeah,” said Seth, rubbing his neck and looking away. “She told me about it once.”

“Oh my God, Seth! She never told me. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, I guess right around the time her husband died. She was pretty sure she was pregnant, then she lost it.” He paused, looked her in the eyes and sighed. “Don’t tell her I told you. She was drunk and miserable when she told me, I don’t know if she would’ve otherwise. We’ve never talked about it again. I don’t think she wants to.”

“Oh my God,” said Kate. “Of course I won’t say anything. I would never bring that up to her. I just don’t know why she wouldn’t have told me. She tells me everything. I mean honestly, I know too much.”

“It isn’t exactly one of those things you go around sharing, Kate.”

“I know. I just want to go hug her all of a sudden.”

“Don’t,” said Seth. “She’d know something was up if you barged in and hugged her, giving her those sad puppy eyes of yours. Stop looking so guilty, you didn’t even do anything wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” pouted Kate. “You know I can’t help it.”

“I know,” he sighed. “You always want to hug people when you feel bad for them. Because, somehow you feel like hugs cure everything, and can even save the world.” 

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Possibly.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like them, mister.”

“Never said I didn’t,” he paused to smirk. “Never said I did either though.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Thanks,” smiled Seth, looking very pleased with himself. “But back to Al and how you will not be hugging her because of the new information you just learned.” He gave Kate a very stern look before moving on. “Just let her get as excited as she wants about this baby. This may be her only chance to do so.”

And that is exactly what Kate was going to do. She wouldn’t take that away from Al. She knew everything she was doing was coming from a good place, she just didn’t know the extent of it. She was just going to let both Al and Richie do whatever they thought was necessary, because it was obvious that it meant so much to both of them. 

This baby was a miracle to all of them for their own reasons. And it meant more to Kate than she could possibly explain, to see just how loved this baby was going to be.


	2. Sometimes Wishes do Come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie and Kate spend time alone for his birthday, and Seth has a birthday wish he's gonna try his darnedest to make come true.

It was just after three in the afternoon when Richie finally walked into the bar for the first time of the day. That meant he got up around two, which was late for him. Despite his Culebra nature, he tried to keep as normal an existence as possible, which meant he ate real food every day to stave off the need for blood, and he usually woke up around noon. Today, for whatever reason was one of the rare occasions that he chose to sleep in.

He set about his usual routine though, as if he didn’t walk in two hours late. The first thing he did every day was check on how things were going in the bar itself. He checked the schedule for the day, on the staff, on supplies, and looked to see how business was doing. Then he usually made his way to the kitchen to do the same. After that he usually slunk into his office to go over numbers. Say what you will about the Geckos, but they ran a clean and very smooth business. 

In fact, they ran several businesses, and Richie spent time at all of them doing basically the same things. Seth, on the other hand, stuck mostly to the Jacknife, leaving Richie to do most of the work in the other locations, which Richie was okay with. They were smaller bars, so they didn’t really need two full time bosses anyway. But regardless, everything was always in tip top shape.

Richie was behind the bar, checking on their liquor supplies when Kate made her way over from the hostess podium. She was the opener today, showing guests to their seats. She basically filled in where she was needed on the floor, pulling both hostess and waitress shifts. She didn’t mind either, but hosting certainly gave her more freedom, and she liked that.

She wrapped her arms around him from behind, squeezing as tight as she could, and resting her face against his back. She felt a rumble ripple through him as he started chuckling at her hug.

“Morning Katie,” he said.

“Morning baby,” she said back, releasing him from her vice-like hug.

He turned around and gave her a hug of his own, followed by a quick peck on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stared up into his beautiful blue eyes, and pulled him back down for another kiss.

“You’re up late today,” she said as she pulled away.

“It happens,” he shrugged.

“It’s three in the afternoon, Richie. It’s almost like you’re a vampire or something,” giggled Kate.

“That's a distinct possibility,” he smiled back. “Or perhaps I’m just exhausted from that major workout we had last night.” He chuckled before continuing. “Or possibly the one this morning when you got up in that oh so good mood of yours.”

Kate giggled again at the thought. “I still managed to get out of bed at a reasonable time, Richie, so I’m not sure that’s a valid excuse.”

“Well the difference is I did most of the work,” he chuckled. “I remember a certain someone just laying back and taking it all in.”

“It’s a lot to take in,” she giggled.

Richie full out laughed at that, then bent to give her another kiss.

“What are your plans today, Katie-Cakes?” He asked as he pulled away.

“Work until four,” she smiled. “Then I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise for me?”

“Yeah. I made us dinner plans for your birthday.”

“Aren’t we doing that tomorrow on my actual birthday, when Al and Sean come in?”

“Yeah, but that’s with everyone. I wanted us to have a night by ourselves.”

“I like nights by ourselves,” smirked Richie.

“Then you’ll love this,” said Kate, biting her lip. “We’ll have to leave at five. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

“Oh? Where are we going?”

“Galveston,” she said matter of factly. “I got us dinner reservations at a seafood place on the coast. Then I was hoping we could stop at the pier for dessert, then walk along the beach. It’s been a long time since we went to a beach, and last time we didn’t just stroll down it alone together.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” he smiled down at her.

Then a couple walked in and headed to the hostess podium. It was back to work for Kate. She kissed him one last time, then made her way over.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The young dark haired man was sleeping against the back wall in the corner of his cell. Then he suddenly woke to his cell door being opened. Two men walked in and poked him with a cattle prod, sending electricity coursing through his body. He screamed in pain, jolting, and rolling around on the ground. 

When he stopped moving, and was fully incapacitated, they finally stopped prodding him. They bent down and each took one of his arms, then dragged him through the cell door. They continued dragging him down the hall and through a door at the very end. Along the way he eventually regained enough of his senses to notice all the eyes of his fellow prisoners on him, following his as he passed. They were emotionless as they watched his limp body drag along the metal floor in the arms of the men.

On the other side of the door he had never been through, there was a circular room with solid metal floors and walls. It had tall ceilings, and a metal loft circled the entire space. He could see shadows of people standing on the loft, but couldn’t make out any real features. 

The two men tossed him in a chair in the middle of the room, then each grabbed one of his wrists angrily, strapping him in with thick leather straps. Then they did the same to his ankles, clasping metal shackles around them. Last, one used another leather belt to strap him to the chair around his waist, while the other attached a similar strap around his forehead. He was totally bound, completely incapacitated, and helpless to fight back against whatever might come.

“What are you doing to me?” He asked shakily, mouth dry from lack of water.

The only response he got was another jolt of electricity as he was prodded again. This time they continued until his natural response was to scream, which slowly turned into a growl. His eyes were no longer human, but an icy blue. His teeth were sharp, sharp as a canine, and his nails started growing into claws. It was clear this was no ordinary man.

“A wolf, I see,” rang out a deep voice from up top. “Bring him in. We need to find out what makes this one tick.”

A door opened from behind the young man in the chair. He had no idea what, or who was coming in. He heard the footsteps of his new companion as they clinked across the metal floor, heading to him. Then, standing before him was a very ordinary looking man. He was wearing black dress slacks, and a white dress shirt. Upon a closer look though, the young man noticed the discoloration of the white shirt. 

Along the collar, down the chest, and under the pits, the shirt was stained yellow, like sweat had been accumulating. He had tousled hair, and long stubble covered his face. His eyes looked worn and tired, and black bags hung under them, showing the exhaustion he couldn’t hide. His face was expressionless, just like his fellow prisoners in his cell block. The last thing the young man noticed was a pair of handcuffs attached to his wrists.

“Michael,” said the voice from above. “You know what you need to do.”

The man nodded his head slowly, looking towards where the voice was coming from. He showed no emotion whatsoever, his eyes were lifeless as they looked at the man on the loft. 

“Release him,” the voice boomed from behind, once again.

One of the guards with the prods took out a set of keys from one of his pockets. He opened the cuffs, releasing Michael, who rubbed at where the cuffs previously sat.

Michael stared at the young man in the chair, still just as expressionless as before. There was almost no sign of life behind his eyes, it was like nobody was home and the body was just reacting. The young man was starting to panic, and a slight tremble made its way through his body. Just what the fuck was he going to do, he thought.

“Find out everything you can from him, Michael. Find out what he knows, and everyone he knows and loves.” The voice from above paused, taking a long breath before continuing. “Find the one thing that keeps him going. Tell me what it is. Then fix him.”

Michael nodded again, this time not taking his eyes off the young man. He reached his hands up, placing his fingers to the young man’s head, his thumbs touching his temples. 

“W-what are you gonna do?” Asked the young man, one more time.

“Shhhhhhh,” said Michael, giving him a slight smile. “This is gonna hurt.”

Then he started chanting under his breath in a language not familiar to the young man. There was a tingling feeling in the air, and the room became static. The hairs stood up all along the young man’s body, and he started to really panic now. His breathing was heavy and frantic, and his eyes darted around. He may not have known what was coming, but he could certainly sense the power in the room. 

Then, without warning, Michael’s fingers began digging in through the sides of the young man’s skull. He screamed and his eyes shot open as wide as they could, as his fingers pushed further and further inside.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the long drive alone together in Richie’s car, holding hands and laughing, Kate and Richie finally made it to the seaside restaurant Kate had picked for his birthday dinner. It was beautiful along the coast, and the night was nearly perfect. From their table, even though it was far enough from natural sunlight as possible for Richie’s benefit, they could still see the sun setting over the water. 

They enjoyed their fresh catch dinner in candlelight, with a bottle of really nice sparkling water. The waiter recommended a really expensive wine that would pair well with their meals, but because of Kate’s current situation, they stuck to the water. She told Richie he could get whatever he wanted, he wasn’t the pregnant one. So if he wanted a beer or a whiskey, she wouldn’t mind, but he told her they were in this together, so he didn’t mind the water.

It was great to be alone together, just enjoying each other’s company. They had date nights ever since they started going out, but lately they hadn’t had as many as they would like. This was just what they needed.

The dinner itself was fantastic, and while the waiter tried tempting them with some of their amazing looking desserts afterwards, Kate had something else in mind. She loved the fancy, finer things in life that Richie and Seth easily provided, but she also liked the simple things. In fact, the simple, little things Richie used to do, and still did for her, were always her favorite. All the little details he would put into something he did for her just made her feel special. That’s why she thought this plan of hers was so good. It was simple, and she wanted to make him feel special too. 

It wasn’t about how much they spent on one another, it never was. While Richie did put together some extraordinary dates for them that Kate was sure cost a small fortune, it was never about the money. It was the experience that he was paying for, which was made all the better because they shared it together. Kate was just as happy eating takeout and curling up to watch a movie together as she was at some fancy steak house, and Richie was too. They were both simple people, and Kate just knew he would really appreciate the little details she put into this night for him. 

She wanted to make him smile, and was sure that this part in particular would do the trick. She knew what it meant to her, how it reminded her of how pure and innocent their relationship could be. It was repaying a simple gesture to him that he did for her on many occasions, and she couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw where she wanted to take him.

They took the short drive down to the pier, windows open, sea breeze sweeping inside. Then they walked hand in hand down the pier to Kate’s secret dessert spot. The sun was down, and the lights along the pier were bright in the night sky. They could see the Ferris wheel in the distance, bright and inviting. Kate wanted to take a ride on that before they left, and kiss him at the top like she did in Chicago.

It wasn’t a long stroll to the spot, and when Richie saw it up ahead, he smiled knowing what it was that she picked. There, before them, was a little ice cream shop, the perfect place for a date. 

Walking inside and ordering the frozen snack reminded him of all those nights they did this over the last few years. They were little dates without the title, a time alone together, where they confided in and got to know one another. He treated her to ice cream so many times, unaware of exactly what he was doing. He never called them dates, she never thought of them like that either. It was just something they did together, but boy were they wrong. Looking back on it, they both felt a little stupid realizing what had been going on all along. Seth was right, they were the last to know, the last to see what had happened right in front of their eyes.

“This time, I’m buying you the ice cream,” smiled Kate. “You want your regular Rocky Road, Richie? Double scoop in a sugar cone?”

“You know me so well,” he smiled back. “And I’m assuming you’re getting the butternut pecan in a waffle cone?”

“Why break with tradition?” She smirked.

They got their ice cream and exited the little shop. They continued walking along the pier, hand in hand, eating their chosen flavors. 

“I miss when we used to do this,” said Kate. “I always liked when you asked me out for ice cream. For me, it was the best part of our trips together.”

“Hmmm,” chuckled Richie. “For me too. Only wish I had to balls to really ask you out when I did it.”

“I don’t know. I kinda like that you didn’t. It just seemed so sweet and innocent, and I liked that about you. I think the lack of pressure on the whole thing is what made it so special. It was just us being us.”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “It was honestly never my intention to put pressure on you anyway. I just wanted to make you happy, and ice cream always seemed to do the trick. I enjoyed just being with you, date or no date.”

“I love you too, Richie,” smiled Kate.

He leaned down for a quick kiss. But one was not enough, so he gave her another, and another.

They found a free bench facing the ocean along the end of the pier. They sat there, cuddled together finishing their ice cream. Richie had his arm wrapped around Kate’s shoulder, and she leaned in close, resting her head on his shoulder as they listened to the peacefulness of the water, and the excitement of the carnival in the background. 

But eventually they made their way to the carnival themselves, where Richie won Kate a teddy bear. Then they waited patiently for their turn on the Ferris wheel.

“Those balloons were no match for your dart skills,” laughed Kate, as they made their way to the top.

“Darts are easy,” he chuckled. “That’s why I usually go with knives.”

“Remember when I held that target for you at the Twister?”

“I remember not wanting you to, but you told me I had no choice,” he said, raising his eyebrows in mockery.

“I knew you wouldn’t hurt me, so there was little risk involved,” she smirked. “Still kinda nuts though.”

“It definitely was. I don’t know what I would have done if I missed that target.”

“Probably cried about it,” giggled Kate. “You big softy.”

“Probably,” he chuckled. 

When they made it to the top, Kate gave him a big, sloppy kiss, just like she wanted.

“Happy birthday, baby,” she smiled, as they got off ride. “Now I was hoping you wouldn’t mind joining me in a walk along the beach. I’d love to get my toes in that sand.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” he smiled.

They strolled along the beach, Richie with his pants rolled up, and carrying their shoes. Kate commented on how adorable he looked, which made him grumble, but then she playfully splashed him as she stood in the shallow ocean water, giggling and giving him a pout. It wasn’t long before that grumble was a smile.

It was so peaceful as they walked in the near complete darkness of the beach, waves gently rolling to the shore. They hadn’t passed anyone in awhile, with most people choosing to stay on the pier with the carnival, restaurants, and shops. 

Kate was still feeling playful, and since Richie seemed to barely touch the water, preferring to stay on the dry sand, Kate suddenly made a break for the oncoming waves, taking him with her. Now they were both ankle deep in the warm water, and she splashed him again. He pulled her towards him, and kissed her again. 

“It’s so beautiful out here,” she said as their lips parted.

“It is.”

“You know, it’s almost midnight,” said Kate biting her lip. “So it’s almost your actual birthday.”

“So?” He asked playfully.

“So maybe it’s time we find a quiet place, all alone, where nobody can find us,” she said, teasingly. “Then maybe I can give you the rest of your birthday gift.”

“Oh yeah?” Asked Richie, wagging his eyebrows, and flashing a cocky grin. “Then maybe we should find that quiet place.”

This time he was the one to pull her. He made a dash for the pier, and the cover it provided from prying eyes. With the sounds and distractions up above, no one would get in their way down here.

He dropped their shoes in the sand, and pressed her back up against one of the pillars. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and gently toyed with his hair as he gave her soft, little kisses over her shoulder and up her neck. His hands were firm on her hips, and he pressed against her. She couldn’t help but bite her lip in anticipation. 

His hands started roaming her body hungrily, caressing her from ass to breast. Richie squeezed and massaged as he continued his assault of Kate’s neck. He wanted to feel as much of her as possible.

Kate was squirming, and moaning, biting her lip as she lightly tugged at his hair. She loved when he touched her like that, like he was devouring her with his hands. 

That’s when he moved to her mouth, kissing her firmly, full of passion and fire. His one hand slid lower now, down her thigh until it came to the end of her tight, little, black dress. Then he gently pushed it higher, caressing her smooth leg. Before long, his fingers slid higher, and lightly played with her panties, just above her sensitive flesh.

“Mmmm, Richie,” she purred, as his fingers traced her.

It sent shivers throughout her body, and set fire to that particular spot, already slick with need. She could feel him too, firm against her, and she was craving it.

“Please,” she begged, needing more.

He slipped his fingers under her panties, sliding up and down. He circled her clit, rubbing it, then slide further in. He made it back to her clit, rubbing in gentle circles, before again sliding in further. This time he slid all the way in.

“Mmmmm,” moaned Kate at the contact.

Richie pumped in and out of her while still kissing her. He made his way from her mouth, down her neck, and across her shoulder, before making his way back up. He was grinding himself on her hip now, and it only made her want more.

Kate moaned again as she slid her one hand from around his neck, down his chest, and to that firm, delectable part of him down below. She grabbed him, earning her a low growl as she rubbed his length up and down. 

She released him begrudgingly, but only to go as far as his zipper. She didn’t want to wait any more. She unzipped him, reached her hand in, and stroked him a few more times. Richie let out a shaky breath as she did, taking his mind off his ministrations for just a second.

Kate pulled him out, releasing him from the tight space of his fitted slacks. She continued stroking him as he continued pumping his finger in and out, licking, sucking, and kissing her neck and lips. 

“Please, baby,” she whispered in his ear.

“Please what?” He chuckled playfully against her cheek.

“Mmmmm,” pouted Kate. “Fuck me, Richie.”

A low rumbling chuckle emanated from his chest, followed by a growl of complete satisfaction. It didn’t matter how many times she said it, it was still always the sexiest phrase when it came from her. So dirty, so completely raw, and one of the biggest turn ons when his precious, sweet, innocent, little Katie said it.

He removed his fingers, sucked them clean, and let them plop from his mouth, all while looking into her eyes. There was a fire staring back at him, a look of pure need and want. A look he could never deny.

Richie picked Kate up, grabbing her legs, and wrapped them around his waist. She held onto him as tight as she could, keeping her arms around his neck. He pressed her more firmly against the pillar behind her. Then he grabbed his solid cock, and slid it home.

“Ohhhhhh, mmmm,” moaned Kate, at the feel of him filling her.

She began rocking her hips the best she could, as he thrust in and out of her, grunting as he worked. Despite how busy he was keeping his pace, he kissed and nibbled at her neck just above her collarbone. He whispered in her ear as he held her close. The things he said ranged for filthy dirty to loving and romantic. He said whatever came to his mind, whatever he was feeling, and he felt it all when he was inside of her. 

They didn’t do a lot of public sex, but this wasn’t their first rodeo either. Kate found she liked it more than she thought, it really got her off. And Richie, well sex was good anywhere for him, but he loved how different Kate was in situations like this. 

Kate always tried to keep quiet when she thought someone might hear, even though her natural reactions were the exact opposite. She always bit his neck or shoulder to keep from making too much noise, and he liked the sharp pain it provided. Plus the muffled moans in his ear were just as much a turn on as the biting.

He worked quickly, knowing the appeal was the possibility of getting caught, but that she would actually be mortified if someone caught them. He pumped in and out, pulling out as far as their closeness would allow, and getting as deep as he comfortably could. 

Richie kept his pace like a champion, knowing exactly what she liked, and that patience is all a woman really needed. He was going to cum at some point, it was inevitable, but the trick was getting her there first. That meant listening to her reactions and paying attention to her cues. While socially he had a problem with cues, sexually he could read them like a book. 

He knew from the little noises she was making and how hard she was biting his neck, that Kate was close. That thought alone set him on fire, the thought that he could do that to her. He kept on pumping away, just like she wanted, in and out at that unrelenting pace.

Kates fingers were tangled in Richie’s hair, pulling and tugging in her need to desperately hold on to something. He was grunting now, as he focused on keeping it steady for her, and every once and a while a ‘fuck, Kate’ slipped from his mouth. That’s what she liked to hear. She liked knowing he was enjoying it as much as she was, and his constant moaning, grunting, panting, and cursing was an oh so enjoyable reminder. 

She was on the edge, tumbling closer, and suddenly she was over it. She moaned loudly in his ear as the feelings of pure pleasure ebbed throughout her body, making her shake in his arms. 

Richie kept on pumping into her, trying desperately to keep his pace. He wanted to make it last for her, and it was working. Kate rode wave after wave of pleasure, until she had to release his neck from her bite. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, it was too much, and she needed to let it all out.

“Ooohhhh fuuuck, Richie!” She yelled. “Yes, mmmmm, yes, yes, yes, mmmmm. Oh God, baby! Mmmmm.”

Try as he might, Richie couldn’t hold out any longer. His once steady pace faltered as he pumped frantically into her, nearing his own release. He was hurtling towards it, grunting through gritted teeth, as he tipped over the edge himself.

“Mmmmmmm, fuuuuuck,” he grunted. “Shhhhiiiittt, Kate. Ahhhh, yeah. Fuck.”

And then they just rested there, hanging on to one another for dear life, panting, and laughing at just how good it always seemed to be between them.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Around noon the next day, Kate woke up curled in Richie’s arms, just like she usually did. And also as usual, his morning arousal made itself well known. It made her smile every time she felt it. What was odd to her and made her question in the beginning of their relationship, now was just one of the simple joys in life. A reminder that the man she loved was wrapped around her.

Often she took advantage of that particular appendage in the morning, getting Richie all riled up, and then taking what he offered. Today though, it was his birthday, and she wanted to do everything for him.

She turned in his arms, stroked him awake, then proceeded to kiss, suck, and lick down his muscular body. She took a good amount of time to tease his nipples, knowing just how much he liked it. Then she continued inching her way down to that firm, aching part of his anatomy. 

Kate kissed his tip, already glazed with pre-cum. Then sucked his head fully into her mouth, running her tongue along it. Richie moaned immediately as she did. She removed it, then continued her teasing assault by licking and kissing his entire length. 

She nipped and sucked on his balls before taking them in her hand and gently massaging them as she went back to focusing on his cock. Kate teased him relentlessly, never quite letting him get to the end, but bringing him as close as she could. He was squirming as he lay there, fully at her mercy.

“Ahhh, yeah,” moaned Richie, bringing his hand back to her head and messing with her hair. “Ohhh fuck, Kate.”

She smiled around him, as she bobbed up and down, giving him the dirtiest little look. His eyes rolled back in his head as he watched her stare at him like that. He loved when she looked at him like that.

Eventually her teasing stopped when she could tell he needed it. He was moaning and cursing up a storm. His hips were thrusting to meet her mouth, he was close. 

She flicked her tongue over that special spot, giving it a few good, quick laps, then really got down to business. It was only a matter of seconds before he was exploding into her waiting mouth.

Kate swallowed the first burst, letting him cum in her mouth. After that she took his cock out and stroked him as he shot load after load onto her tongue and chin. She knew he liked watching her catch and swallow it, and she liked it too, so it was really a win for both.

When all was done, she crawled up to give him a solid kissing. He held her to him, and kissed her back just as fiercely. Kate finally broke the kiss, and pulled just enough away to stare deep into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Happy birthday, Richie,” she smirked. “Now I don’t know about you, but I think this birthday boy needs a sexy birthday shower. Beat ya there.”

She giggled then hopped out of bed and raced to the bathroom. Richie followed with a pleased chuckle.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that afternoon, Alessandra arrived at the Jacknife just in time for Richie’s birthday dinner. This time she brought Sean. It was his first time visiting them in Texas, and Kate was super excited to have him there. She was just excited that he and Al were still happily together in the first place. She really liked him. 

Sean was a nice guy. He was great to and for Al, and he even got along with Seth and Richie. That, was a gift very few people possessed. Kate thought it was good for them to have a guy friend that wasn’t either of them. And it would give them someone to talk to that wasn’t Al, so she and Al could hang out more by themselves. It was a win win situation as far as she was concerned. 

After Al and Sean got situated in the guest room, they got ready for dinner. They were going to some fancy steakhouse that Richie really liked called Char. That means they all had to dress up a bit. Clearly that wasn’t a problem for Seth and Richie. They wore suits most of the time anyway, especially Richie. 

Kate put on a classy, red dress for the occasion. It wasn’t as sexy as some of her dresses, but it was comfy, and Richie seemed to like it. He told her she kind of looked like a naughty school teacher, one he wouldn’t mind serving detention with. That made her giggle, and gave her some ideas for later on tonight when they would be alone.

But that would be later, now they were headed out to a nice, group dinner, and she was going to have to behave. That didn’t mean Richie would, as Kate found out. He put his arm around her waist as they walked from the valet station to the hostess podium. While they were finishing up getting things ready for them, his hand slid down to cup her ass. He squeezed it ever so slightly, and when she turned to give a raised brow look, he had a sly little smirk on his face. She wasn’t sure she could even pretend to be angry at him when he looked at her like that.

After that, dinner went completely smooth. Richie ordered the porter house, rare, which Kate absolutely wouldn’t touch. He liked things bloody, probably more of a Culebra thing, and she certainly didn’t. So she got the petite filet cooked the way she wanted it, and they shared some lyonnaise potatoes, which were one of his favorites. 

Seth got the rib-eye and garlic mashed potatoes, and Al and Sean shared the surf and turf with some glazed brussel sprouts and a caesar salad. They also split a couple bottles of fine red wine. Minus Kate of course, who stuck with an iced tea. Richie again said he would pass on the wine, in an effort to not make Kate feel left out. But she told him to enjoy the wine for them both, so this time he did.

It was decided that having the wait staff over to sing happy birthday was a bad idea. So knowing it would only piss Richie off, they passed on the whole scenario. Instead, they each ordered desserts and coffee without even mentioning it to the waiter. It would be more enjoyable that way.

When they got back to the Jacknife, Richie opened his gifts from them, and they hung around the living room and chatted. At a certain point, Al suggested that she and Kate could separate from the guys.

“Hey,” she said. “Richie, it’s your birthday. Why don’t you and the guys go upstairs, have a few drinks, and throw some knives. Kate and I can have a sober night down here, watching a movie or something. Go enjoy yourself.”

Richie instinctively looked to Kate to see if she had a problem with that idea. Seth just rolled his eyes and shook his head at the notion of him silently asking for permission. Kate gave Seth a look at that, then turned to smile at Richie, indicating that it was in no way an issue. He smiled back, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then went with the guys upstairs. 

Kate knew he would come back down eventually. He loved cuddling with her most of all, so he would get tired of the crowd upstairs, and come back to her. That’s when she figured she would unleash the naughty school teacher for him, just to complete the night.

She and Al watched a movie and caught up. It was one of the few moments they would have alone over the next few days. Tomorrow was the the only full day before Richie’s big party at the Jacknife on Sunday night. It went so well last year, Kate decided she wanted to make it an annual thing. Only this year it wasn’t going to be a surprise. 

Kisa and Marisol were going to make it out again, and even Scott and Toni were going to come. It would be the first time Scott saw Kate and Richie after he found out he was going to be an uncle, and that he was getting a new brother-in-law. He said he wouldn’t miss it.

Right now though, as the movie was ending, Al brought up the wedding. Kate didn’t want to wait until after the baby was born to be married. At the same time, she didn’t want to look super pregnant in her wedding photos. So that meant they had to get this thing put together, and soon.

“We were thinking early August,” said Kate. “I’ll be like five months pregnant by then, so that’s as long as I’m willing to wait.”

“Makes sense,” laughed Al, giving Kate a smirk before continuing. “You’re only gonna get bigger after that. Might make those sexy dance moves of yours look awkward.”

“Haha,” laughed Kate, snidely, rolling her eyes. 

“Did you guys pick out a venue yet?”

“Well honestly, I always thought I would get married in my daddy’s church, but clearly that’s not an option.”

“Clearly,” shrugged Al.

“So we actually talked about it, and decided we were gonna do it here.”

“Here?! At the Jacknife?”

“Yeah, but not inside,” said Kate. “We have all that nice nature in the back. We thought we might put it to good use, and set up a space out there for the wedding.”

“I’m sure you’ve already thought about this, but your husband to be doesn’t do well in the sun.”

“That’s why we’re gonna do it at night. Kinda like our first date,” smiled Kate. “We’ll set up a platform for dancing, and hang lights all over, from the alter, to the dining area, to the dance floor. It’s gonna be beautiful, and it was Richie’s suggestion too.”

“He’s kinda a closet romantic, isn’t he?” Laughed Al. “I think it sounds nice.”

“Now it’s just all the other details,” snorted Kate. “There’s so much to do.”

“I can help a bit while I’m here if you want,” suggested Al. “We have three weeks before Seth’s birthday. Since Sean and I are staying until after that, there should be plenty of time.”

“Thanks. That would be great. Seth keeps telling Richie that he’s spending too much time thinking about it. That his wedding was quick and simple, so he doesn’t understand why we’re fussing so much about ours. Richie told him that neither he, or I want a late night Vegas wedding, or a marriage that only lasts a year. I told him to be more gentle about it, but you know, he’s Richie, so it came out very condescending. Not surprisingly, Seth seemed a little offended,” laughed Kate. “So now he keeps pestering us just to piss Richie off. Maybe it would be good to get a little back up.”

“You know how much I like pissing Seth off,” chuckled Al. “Of course I’ll get up his ass about it if he even so much as thinks about getting in our way of planning your day.”

“That’s why I think you’ll be the perfect maid of honor,” smiled Kate.

“M-maid of honor?!” Asked a wide eyed Al.

“Yeah. Of course I want you to be my maid of honor, Al. Who else would I choose?”

“I don’t know. Anyone else, maybe.”

“You don’t want to be my maid of honor?”

“Fuck yeah I do! I just figured you would have someone else already lined up for that role.”

“You saved our relationship, Al. You’re the best girl friend that I have. There’s nobody else that would even come close.”

Al had a peculiar look on her face that certainly caught Kate’s attention. It was a look she had never seen on the Vespertillio’s face before. If she had to guess, Kate figured it was a combination of shock, happiness, disbelief, wonder, and pride. Like she had never had anyone say such a thing to her before, and it was really hitting home. She thought maybe there was a glimmer in her eyes too, but thought that might just be her imagination. Al wasn’t one for showing emotions, so maybe this was as close as she got.

“I’d be honored,” smiled Al.

Kate leaned in and hugged her for added measure.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Seth’s birthday, and Jess, Pauly, and Roxy were out for the party. They arrived a few days ago, and were planning on staying a week. Seth was looking forward to this since he left Chicago, and couldn’t wait to rekindle his relationship with Jess.

They would have come out sooner, Lord knows Jess felt terrible about missing Richie’s birthday, but her daughter Emily was in school in Chicago, and they had to wait for her school year to finish before heading out. It worked out that Emily’s dad was only like thirty minutes away from the Jacknife. She would be staying with him for most of the summer anyway since she hadn’t seen him since Thanksgiving. Seth was hoping to use this to his advantage to try to get Jess to stay out longer. He didn’t think one week was going to be enough.

He had to contain himself from jumping her as soon as they arrived. He hadn’t seen her in nearly two months, and they left things in a weird place. He wanted her badly, and they even had some steamy phone calls before she arrived, making his need even more prevalent. But he was a gentleman first and foremost, and she meant more to him than just a physical relationship, so he would take his time. 

Since Al and Sean were using the guest room, and Paul and Roxy were in Kate’s old room, Jess decided to bunk with Seth. And luckily for him, that first night, while laying together side by side, Jess made it abundantly clear she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. So he didn’t end up having to wait as long as he feared. It became a nightly thing over the last few days, but today was going to be different. It was going to be about more.

After the party he had a special request he was going to make of her. He was going to make sure she had a complete blast from the moment she woke up, until they laid their heads back on their pillows at night. It was his birthday, so you would think Seth would want everything to be about him, but no, what he wanted more than anything else on his birthday was for his birthday wish to come true. And to do that, he was going to have to get Jess to understand he was serious. So while he woke her up in the most pleasant fashion this morning, using his tongue to entice her eyes open, it was all for a good cause, him. 

They grabbed breakfast alone together because they wouldn’t have another chance to really be alone the rest of the day. His actual birthday just so happened to land on a Sunday this year, which made it easy for the Jacknife to be closed early enough for his big birthday bash, which Kate absolutely refused to let go of. She seemed to think he deserved a big party every year, and while he didn’t necessarily agree, he would be damned if he tried to convince her otherwise. She also seemed to really get a kick out of planning it, so who was he to take that away from her. She would always be his Princess no matter what their relationship was, and he would do anything for her. Even go through another birthday bash.

There was a nice little place not far from the Jacknife, and together Seth and Jess sipped on mimosas and ate beautifully crafted Belgium waffles. Jess insisted because it was his birthday, he actually let her pay for something, and after a bit of a light hearted argument, he finally agreed. They spent long enough in the restaurant just talking and laughing, that it became apparent that the waiter was hoping they would leave so he could get more people in. While they truly didn’t care what he thought, they eventually left anyway, freeing up his long awaited for space.

Instead of going back right away though, they decided to spend as much time alone as possible. They took a leisurely stroll around the park across from the restaurant, enjoying the late morning sunshine, and the simple conversation that easily flowed between them. They reminisced about times past, joking about the stupid things they used to do together. They talked about things that happened in their decade apart, and even shared their ideas about the future they would like to see. 

This was truly different from any relationship Seth had ever had. The only one that even lasted more than a few months was Vanessa, and that was a disaster from the beginning. At this point he couldn’t even remember what he ever saw in her. Sure he was attracted to her, but there was nothing else holding it together. There certainly wasn’t enough to hold a marriage together.

Seth married Vanessa when he was only twenty-one. He and Richie worked a few jobs with her, and then bam. They finished a job in Vegas together, getting into the penthouse of some wealthy businessman to steal from the contents of his safe. Vanessa was bait, distracting the asshole in the lounge, while Seth and Richie did their job on the top floor. Richie disabled the security cameras from the elevator and that floor, putting it in a loop so nobody would suspect anything. Then they broke into the penthouse where Richie cracked the safe. Then they were out in no time flat.

After an initial celebration, like they did after every job, Vanessa convinced Seth to go to a club with her. Richie refused and headed back up to their room, leaving Seth and Vanessa alone. One thing led to another, and before he even knew it, they were racing to the altar of a twenty-four hour wedding chapel. It only went downhill from there. 

They were married for just over a year. A time filled with fighting, and many arguments over his strange and very codependent relationship with his brother, that eventually pushed Richie farther and farther away. It was almost too late before Seth realized just how big of a mistake he had made. He left Vanessa, but the damage was done. There was a lack of trust between the brothers which lead Seth to make the ultimate mistake. He refused to acknowledge Richie’s avid pleas to stay away from the Big Jim job. And even though Richie refused to help him with it, something that normally would have made him second guess himself, he chose to go on with it with a new team. The lack of coherence with that new team landed in him jail for five long years.

It would never be like that with Jess. She liked Richie. They were close, and she respected him regardless of his differences. She would never be jealous of the time they spent together, and she would always be kind to him. Plus she liked Kate too, which was a definite must since she wasn’t going anywhere either. And to top it off, Seth himself felt more comfortable with her than any other woman he ever knew. Besides Kate, and sometimes Al, Seth never had a heart to heart with a woman before, but it was easy with Jess, and he liked it.

That is why he wanted her to stay. He was at a point in his life where something as simple as that had finally meant more than a physical attraction to someone. Not that he didn’t find Jess attractive, she was totally hot, and there was a definite sexual chemistry. But she was also more than that, and he liked it. He needed that.

Eventually they ended up back at the Jacknife, and hung around with everyone until the party started. It was a blast, just like the year before. Kate could really plan a party. Everyone was drinking, dancing, and enjoying the steak and lobster bites Kate had as hors d'oeuvres.

The party raged until after two in the morning. Seth and Jess, forever the partiers of the group, were there until the end. When the final guest left for the night, Jess and Seth headed down to the living quarters with Al and Sean. They hugged goodnight, Al slipping in one more happy birthday, before they headed off to their separate rooms. For Seth, the party was not quite over.

Seth and Jess licked, sucked, nipped, and kissed all over each other, teasing in the most extraordinary ways. He ran his hands all over her body, caressing and squeezing. While Jess’s tits were nowhere the size of Al’s enormous monsters, they were still more than a handful, which is exactly the way Seth liked them. 

He sucked and toyed with her nipples as she sat in his lap. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, and rocked her hips back and forth with him deep inside, enjoying the sensations of his mouth and hands on her tits. 

When the teasing and gentle caresses were getting too much, Seth flipped Jess on her back, staying between her legs all the while. He pumped into her, fast and furious, and she moaned his name, arms still wrapped around his neck, fingers toying with his hair. 

He worked her until she came, breathing a loud ‘mmmmmm, Seth’, and convulsing around his thick cock. He wasn’t done yet though, and continued pumping away, never giving her a chance to even catch her breath. 

It wasn’t long before she was writhing beneath him, squirming and pouting for him to keep going. She was close again, so he steadied his pace. 

“Mmmmm, she moaned. “Just like that, baby, just like that. Mmmmmm.”

“Ahhhh, fuck,” he moaned back.

Jess came again with a shudder, and this time Seth was unable to hold back. He thrust into her with speed as she whined and hung onto him. His strokes were deep and precise as he edged closer to finishing. Then, with a loud sigh, he was there himself.

“Ahhhh, yeah,” he moaned. “Fuuuuck, baby, ahhhh.”

He rolled off after catching his breath, and urged Jess to cuddle up next to him. She did with no questions asked, placing her head on his shoulder and running her fingers across his chest. Seth held her close, tracing his fingers over her arm. Now was the time to ask, he thought. It was now or never.

“Jess?” He asked softly.

“Seth?” She giggled back.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

“About how this is my birthday night, and how I only have one birthday wish.”

“And it’s not what we just did?” Jess giggled back, looking up into his eyes.

“Well I mean that could be part of it,” he chuckled back. “But no.”

“Then what could it possibly be?”

“I don’t think a week is long enough. I want you to stay.”

“You want me to stay?” Asked a bewildered Jess.

“Yeah. I want you to stay.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Seth, looking down at Jess with raised brows. “Forever?”

“Forever?!” Asked Jess with a smile.

“Or maybe just the summer,” Seth shrugged again. “I mean, Emily will be close, and you’ll get to see her more if you stay here. I just. . . I want to figure things out between us, and I think we need more than just a few weeks. There’s something here, Jess, and I want to know what it is. It’s good between us, real good. Maybe this is the way things were supposed to be.”

“Well, you bring up a good point about Emily. And yeah, I think there’s something between us too. You really want to see what it is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Well then let’s give it a try. It’s not like I have anything really waiting for me in Chicago. I have no house, no real career, and my daughter is here as well. And. . . so are you.”

“So what are you saying? That you’ll stay?”

“I’m saying that if it’s your birthday wish, I can’t really deny you, now can I?”

“I mean,” he chuckled. “You really shouldn’t deny me on my birthday.”

“Then I guess I’m staying,” she smiled back.


	3. Fun Times at Jacknife Jed's

“Ooohhh, Richie,” moaned Kate, as she ground down on Richie’s face.

It was their last night together before the wedding. Kate had this great idea that they should not see each other for a week before they got married. She figured it would only make the wedding night that much better. She and Al were leaving tomorrow to go stay with Kisa and Marisol. Richie would be staying at the Jacknife with the guys.

Richie was apprehensive of the full week thing, but reluctantly agreed. He thought it was too long, and didn’t want to spend that much time apart. But it’s what Kate wanted, and he wasn’t about to tell her no. He could do it, he thought. It was just a week, then they had their whole lives together. But, still he made sure that he was going to get his fix before that week began.

They had been at it on and off all day, starting as soon as Kate woke up this morning. She woke Richie up kissing down his neck, down his chest, his stomach, all the way down to that special part. She toyed with him, teasing as long as she could before he flipped her over and had his way with her. She wasn’t complaining. In fact, it’s exactly what she wanted.

They snuck away several times during the day too. Something that was obvious to everyone around them, and brought relentless comments and jokes from Seth and Al. It didn’t bother them though, it was their last day together for awhile, they couldn’t keep their hands off one another. Now the night was nearly over, so they were getting ready for the finale. The absolute last time together before becoming husband and wife.

Kate was holding Richie’s hands and she ground down on his face. He was having a field day down there as she whimpered and moaned, sucking and licking to his heart’s content. He liked when she was on top when he did this, although honestly, he liked eating her out any way he could. It was always hot as shit, and a real treat. There was just something about being able to please a woman that that he liked, especially if that woman happened to be Kate.

He was always into the idea of tasting a woman, didn’t get many opportunities to do so until he met Kisa. Even then, it wasn’t exactly what he thought it would be. But Kate, even back then, just the thought of tasting her could make him explode. And when he finally got the opportunity to actually do it, it was every bit as good as he imagined. There was never going to be a time when he wouldn’t want this, the taste of Kate Fuller on his tongue.

“Mmmmmm, yeeessss,” whined Kate. “Oooohhhh Gooooood.”

Kate was close, and Richie got a devilish grin on his face knowing what was about to happen. He loved watching her cum. He loved feeling it too.

He watched her face from his position below. She always liked facing him when she was on top. Either when he was doing this, or when she was riding his cock. She loved being able to look at him, to touch his chest or shoulders. While he honestly could have it either way, he liked being able to watch her too. And he definitely loved when she ran her fingers over him, or dragged her nails across his chest. He loved the feel of her gripping his shoulders as she held on for dear life. So there was a definite upside to her facing him for both of them. 

Kate’s grip on Richie’s hands tightened, and she started panting and moaning incoherently. Any second now, he thought. He was hard as a rock again, even after Kate finished him off before he did her. He had already decided he wasn’t going to give her a chance to recover. He was going to flip her off as soon as he got his fill, then fuck her until neither could think straight. It was his last opportunity to do so before she was his wife, and he wanted to make sure he gave her one last reason to stick around. 

“Mmmmmmm, Richie,” said Kate, digging her nails into his hands. “Oh, oh, oh, ooohhhh, mmmmmmm!”

Kate quivered as she held on for dear life. Her orgasm hit her like an earthquake, shaking her to the core. Richie kept on relentlessly sucking at her clit, making it last as long as he could.

She rode out the little aftershocks as Richie continued lapping her up, getting as much as he could on his tongue. He loved the taste of her. But as she started to calm down, giving him a satisfied and oh so pleased smile, he knew it was time. 

He let go of her hands and grabbed her hips. Kate was absolutely stunned as he flipped her onto her back with nearly cat-like reflexes and lightning speed. Before she knew it, she was now looking up at him instead of looking down at him.

“Richie,” she giggled.

“Yes, Katie,” he said back, giving her that perfectly cocky grin of his.

She gave him a dangerously evil looking grin in return, knowing just how she could get him even more riled up.

“Fuck me,” she said, looking him in the eyes.

Richie noticeably shuddered, eyes rolling back into his head as he made that sexy noise from the back of his throat that Kate loved so much. It was somewhere between a growl and a moan, and was possibly the sexiest noise Kate ever heard. God he loved when she said those words to him, and every time she did, she got this same reaction. He was such as animal when she got him started like that.

“As you wish,” he smirked back.

Then he shoved his way home, making Kate moan immediately.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The young, dark haired man was standing at the back of a thick crowd. He was trying to see around the rest of the people in front of him. His eyes were dead, as he intently stared ahead of him. His face was pale, hair was greasy, and the black bags under his eyes were unusually visible. 

He could hear the sounds of the commotion in front of him, the growls and satisfied grunts of the people around him, and the ohs and ahs from above. He knew what was happening, but he wanted to see more of it for himself. His instincts and interests had changed over the weeks he was trapped here, wherever this was. And what once was only mildly appealing to him, now held so much more meaning. It was a need, a craving, something he thrived upon, and what kept him going.

He pushed his way to the front, eyes growing slightly crazed. He received grunts and growls from his comrades as he pushed through them. Some of them moved out of his way, only giving him a look, and others gave him a mild hard time. When they did, his eyes glowed an inhuman color, and he snarled back, showing just how important it was for him to get to the front. 

He made it to the front, to the place he longed to be. Then he finally got his clear view of the ruckus that he could only hear before. An unpleasant grin spread across his face at the sight. 

There before him was a Vespertilio and a Culebra fighting on a blood soaked, dirt floor. They were surrounded by a circle of the other prisoners, each intently watching the fight, all with similar looks on their faces to the young, dark haired man. They were feeding off the violence, something that was bred into them. They seemed stripped of all their humanity, as the glowing eyes of their beasts stared at the two ripping each other apart in the center or the ring.

Fresh blood sprayed across the young, dark haired man’s face as he looked on. The Culebra had gotten in a good punch to the Vespertilio’s face, smashing his nose in. It reformed quickly as the Vespertilio shook it off. It wasn’t the first time his nose was broken.

He growled, baring his fangs, and lunged at the Culebra, tackling him to the ground. They grappled. Each throwing punches, as they fought for control. The young man looked on in awe as the Vespertilio finally gained it. 

He had his hands around the Culebra’s neck. He was pushing down with all his might, as the Culebra was hissing and fighting back as hard as could, struggling against the Vespertilio’s grasp. 

The Vespertilio gave one more violent growl, and crunch. The Culebra’s neck caved in under the pressure. His neck was broken, his windpipe crushed. For all intents and purposes, the Culebra was dead, but his regenerative abilities wouldn’t make it permanent. 

So, to make sure the job was done, the Vespertilio reared back then smashed through the Culebra’s chest. He ripped his heart out of his chest, and held it up for all to see. It soon turned to ash in his hand, as the body of the Culebra did the same beneath the Vespertilio. He stood up and growled his satisfaction, showing his bat fangs as he looked around the crowd of prisoners, challenging them to challenge him. 

The young, dark haired man smiled an evil grin. He couldn’t wait for his opportunity to take him on. This was his purpose now.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate lay on her back, basking in the afterglow, running her fingers gently through Richie’s hair as he laid with his face pressed to her ever growing belly. They did this nightly now, it was their thing. Whether they had sex or not, Richie ended every night laying facing her belly. He ran his hand over it as he talked to her, and the baby.

It made Kate smile, thinking about how he seemed to long to be as much a part of their growing baby’s life as she was. Sure he wasn’t the one carrying the child, but he seemed to try to make himself known to the baby every chance he could get. Be it rubbing or running his hand across the baby’s current home, holding it tightly in the night, or giving her belly a good morning or goodnight kiss. He wanted to be a part of their child’s life as much as possible. 

It started the night after the ultrasound. Kate was sleeping in his arms as usual, but she noticed he held her differently, more protective perhaps. His large hand was spread across her belly, putting a barrier between his baby and the dangers of the world around it. She remembered how it was still there in the morning when she woke up, still guarding their precious little gift. He did it every night since.

But this, this was her favorite part. She loved when he talked to their baby. She noticed a couple of months ago how he started doing more than just using his hands. That’s when he started kissing her belly in the morning and at night, always saying either good morning or goodnight as he did. But as time went by, he started doing more than just that. He started slowly talking more and more directed at the baby. And almost a month ago he started doing this, laying with his head on her chest every night, facing the baby.

One night, Richie casually slipped in the fact that it was believed babies started hearing at around eighteen weeks. So it was time to start trying to get acquainted with the baby. It made Kate giggle at his choice of words. He wanted to get ‘acquainted’ with their child, and it was just so fucking cute. 

The talking started off slowly, and was very basic with simple questions and statements at first. Then eventually it started growing into Richie just talking about his day to the baby. But now, as Kate was sitting at the twenty-one week mark, Richie was having full out conversations with the baby. He rambled away like he did when he got excited, sometimes for over an hour before Kate fell asleep listening to his calming voice.

He occasionally got Kate involved too, asking her questions, and trying to include her. But mostly he just got caught up in his one sided conversation with his unborn child.

Right now he was talking about some of his favorite westerns. He was going over a list of the top ten westerns that he wanted to show the baby. He gave each title, the main characters, names of the actors, and a brief plot of each movie.

“I think you’ll like them, I did,” he said at Kate’s belly. “I loved this stuff as a kid. Still do. And that’s not just if you’re a boy. I think even girls like westerns. I got your mom to watch these with me, and she liked them.” He paused to turn to look at Kate. “Right, baby? You liked them, right?”

“Yeah, baby,” replied Kate. “I did. I wasn’t huge on the idea at first, but you were right. They are pretty good. Well most of them anyway.”

“You think the baby will like them too?”

“Eventually. Probably not until they’re a little older though.”

“Well yeah, when they’re old enough, obviously.”

“I think he or she will love to watch movies with Daddy,” smiled Kate. “I know I do.”

Richie smiled back at Kate. Oh God, she loved when he smiled like that. He looked like an innocent little child when he did that, and it melted her insides every time.

She knew he liked it the few times she called him Daddy in a sexual way, but she was pretty sure he liked being called Daddy referring to being an actual dad even more. He had a glimmer in his eye that was unmistakable when he thought about it. She knew he was nervous about it, but he was obviously more excited than anything. She took it as he thought he would never have the chance, so it was that much more meaningful to him now that he could. 

“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” Asked Richie. “I mean, not that it matters. I just wanna know already.”

“I honestly have no idea,” laughed Kate. “But I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“But Al already knows. It’s not fair.”

Kate giggled, “Richie it’s just one more week. She needed to know so she could get everything set up for the reveal. I for one think it’s gonna be awesome to find out with everyone else at the reception.”

“I guess,” he sighed. “But for whatever reason, it bothers me that she’s the only one who knows.”

“Who would you rather know? Seth?” Laughed Kate.

“Hell no,” Richie laughed back.

“Then she was the best choice, Richie. And she’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. She’s my maid of honor after all. And you know how she feels about this baby. She’s almost as excited as we are.”

“I know. I just. . . I just want to know who I’m talking to.”

“You’re talking to our baby, and I think he or she likes it regardless.”

Richie smiled up at Kate again, gazing into her green eyes.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” she smiled back. “Now why don’t you tell the baby about The Princess Bride. That, is a movie he or she will definitely have to watch with the both of us.”

“As you wish,” chuckled Richie.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You ready, brother?” Asked Seth as they walked to the car.

It was the Friday night before the wedding on Sunday, and it was time for Richie’s bachelor party. Seth set the whole thing up, and he was carting everyone to the spot in a party bus to get this party started. It was the brothers, Sean, Paul, and Scott.

“Well, since you planned it,” started Richie. “I’m sure it has something to do with strippers. So yeah, I’m ready.”

“Of course it has something to do with strippers, Richard,” said Seth. “It’s a bachelor party. And it’s not just strippers. It’s not like I just got you a VIP card in any old club this time.”

“Then what did you get?” Asked Richie.

“I got us all a VIP bungalow in the best club around. A private show with about a half dozen girls that are just for our entertainment. Steak and lobster dinner, served by sexy, flirty woman, and top shelf liquor boys, open bar. So have at it.”

The guys all showed their appreciation for the private show, the fancy dinner, and the endless amounts of quality drinks. Even Richie had to admit it sounded like it was going to be a fantastic night. He had been to many clubs with Seth over the years. Bought many VIP cards, and sat in many VIP booths, but nothing ever this extravagant. He was actually really looking forward to it now. 

“Only the best for my baby brother,” said Seth, clapping Richie on the back. He paused to smirk at his brother. “Did you get Kate’s permission first? You know how she feels about strippers.”

“Real funny, Seth,” said Richie giving him a side glance. “I don’t need to ask her for permission.”

“That’s funny, because you always do.”

“I do not! Besides, she knew you were planning this party, so I’m sure she had a pretty good idea of what we would be doing. She didn’t say anything about it.”

“But if she did, it would be off?” Asked a sarcastic Seth.

“No,” grunted Richie. 

“Would you two quit it,” said Scott from the other side of the buss. “It’s supposed to be a party.”

“It wouldn’t be a party if Seth and Richie didn’t argue,” laughed Paul. “I honestly don’t remember one when they didn’t.”

“It wouldn’t be a regular day either,” laughed Scott, rolling his eyes.

“It’s our thing,” shrugged Seth. “But come on, everyone in this buss knows that if Kate told Richie no strippers, this party wouldn’t even be happening. Everyone except Richie that is.”

Richie gave Seth another look. Seth acted like he didn’t just do everything Kate said too, but even though he put up more of a fight, he generally always ended up doing what she said anyway. If Richie was whipped, so was Seth. Richie thought it was actually kind of funny that Seth was the only one who didn’t seem to notice that. But he thought better about bringing it up. 

“Well it would be hard for Kate to say anything about us going to a club,” said Sean. “I mean knowing what they’ll be doing tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Asked Richie. “Kate said they were going to the spa this afternoon, followed by dinner. I don’t see what’s so odd about that.”

“Al has a little surprise for her after dinner,” chuckled Sean.

“What kind of surprise?” Asked Richie, turning to Sean and squinting his eyes in question.

“An Al kind of surprise,” he chuckled back.

“So what you’re saying,” added Seth. “Is that we’re not the only ones seeing strippers tonight, right?”

“Bingo,” smiled Sean. 

“What?!” Shouted Richie.

“Relax brother,” smirked Seth. “I’m sure she’ll do less with those strippers than you do with yours.”

“I don’t know,” said Scott. “Did you guys see Magic Mike? Those guys were all over those ladies.”

“Not helpful,” said Seth, looking across at Scott. Then he turned to his brother. “Richie, she’s not really into that stuff, so I don’t think you have to really worry about those guys touching your precious Kate.”

“How would you know?” Asked a slightly aggravated Richie. “She’s never done anything like that before.”

“Honestly,” added Sean, chuckling. “The worst thing that could happen is that she absolutely loves it, and then it’s gonna be your turn to dance for her. I mean she does it for you right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then I guess it’s time you worked on your moves,” laughed Sean. “If she’s anything like Al, she’s gonna want her turn any day now.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The spa was a perfect place for the ladies to spend the afternoon together for Kate’s bachelorette party. It was Kate, Al, Kisa, Marisol, Jess, Roxy, and Toni, and they were all feeling relaxed after their massages. 

Now they were all getting mani pedis before dinner. They had to get ready for the Wedding on Sunday anyway, and all wanted nice nails for the occasion. Kate had picked out a glittery white polish that she thought would look great with her dress. And Al, Kisa, and Jess were the only bridesmaids, so they all got a matching shade of polish. It was a light blue that went well with their dresses.

Originally the bridesmaids were just going to be Al and Kisa, and the groomsmen Seth and Scott, but Richie really wanted Jess and Paul to be involved in the wedding as well. They might have only recently got back in touch, but they were his only other friends. The only other people he ever had a connection with, and it seemed important to him to have them involved in his big day. Kate couldn’t argue with that. It was his day as much as hers, and she liked both of them anyway, so she couldn’t see why they shouldn’t be involved.

The girls were all idly chitchatting when Kate turned to Al, who was sitting next to her.

“Al this was a great idea,” she said.

“Thanks,” smirked Al. “I thought so too.”

“And dinner is going to be fantastic.” 

“I hope so,” said Al. “I’ve never been to the restaurant before but it gets great reviews.”

“It will be,” smiled Kate. “Don’t worry. But you know you don’t have to pay for everything just because you’re the maid of honor. We can all pitch in too, you know.”

“Don’t worry about it, Kate. It’s all taken care of.”

“I know you can’t have enough to cover all of our spa stuff and dinner, Al. At least let us pay for something.”

“Relax Kate. I said it was all covered.”

“Al…” started Kate.

“Kate,” said Al. “It’s all good. No worries.”

“It’s too much. I can’t ask that of you.”

“You didn’t ask it of me, I made the plans. And besides, I said it was covered. Not that I paid for it all.”

“What do you mean by that?” Asked Kate. Then she had a thought and sighed. “Oh my God, Al. You didn’t mind fuck these people into giving us free stuff did you?”

“No!” Laughed Al. “Why would you think about that? Have I ever done something that would make you think I would do that?”

“No,” said Kate, shaking her head. “But how else could it be covered.”

“You had a special donation set up, and I just used the funds provided.”

“I don’t get it. Donation?”

“Your future husband, duh,” laughed Al.

“Richie?! What do you mean?”

“He asked me if I needed any help with your party. He said he wanted to make sure you had the best bachelorette party possible, and no amount of money was going to be an issue. He told me to plan anything that I wanted, and just give him the bill. So that’s what I did, and he didn’t even bat an eye when I gave him the total. He just shrugged and handed me a wad of cash.”

“That’s my Richie,” smiled Kate. “He’s always taking care of me.”

“He’s a real keeper, Kate,” smirked Al. 

“Duh,” giggled Kate. “Why do you think I’m keeping him?”

“Honestly,” smirked Al. “I thought it was the sex. The things that man can do with his tongue. Mmm.”

“Al! You’re such a perv!”

She and Al had a good laugh about it. Kate loved that man, there didn’t seem to be anything he wouldn’t do for her. He was so thoughtful, so sweet, so romantic, and yeah, Al was right about the sex. It was fantastic. She just couldn’t wait to be his wife.

“Today’s going to be perfect,” sighed Kate.

“Just wait until tonight,” grinned Al.

“What about tonight?” Asked Kate.

“Oh,” said Al, wiggling her eyebrows. “I have a little something planned for you after dinner. I think you’re gonna love it.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was four in the morning the Saturday following Kate’s bachelorette party. She only just got to sleep about two hours ago. Al wasn’t kidding about the surprise she had after dinner. It was a late night filled with multiple strippers that showed up at Kisa’s door around eleven at night. 

The two male and two female strippers danced and teased the group of women for two hours. Kate was familiar with giving Richie lap dances, she had done so quite a few times, but she had never gotten one herself. That was until tonight. She got one from each of the strippers at Al’s urging. 

It was a little awkward at first, but eventually Kate kind of got into it. The guys in particular. She liked the way they rubbed on her, and picked her up, grinding on her as they carried her around. It was both completely hilarious, and kind of sexy at the same time.

Nobody enjoyed it more than Al, who was cracking up at Kate’s awkward face. And then when it was her turn, she rode her stripper like a horse, slapping his ass and laughing her ass off. It was a real blast for all the ladies. Both the male and female strippers put on a good show, and everyone ended up having tons of fun.

When they finally left though, the group was exhausted, and it wasn’t long before they made their way to their sleeping locations. Kisa and Marisol had a small place, only two bedrooms. Yet all the women were spending the night. That meant Kate was sharing the guest room with Al, and the others were sleeping on the sectional in the living area. It was cramped, but it was only for the night, so no one really cared.

Kate’s phone started buzzing, which was weird. Who would be calling her at four in the morning? It was still loud enough to wake her though, but it also woke Al up, who was less confused at the late call and more irritated that someone would have the audacity to wake her up.

“Would you turn that off,” she grumbled over at Kate. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”

She was even less of a morning person than Richie, mused Kate. Which was odd because she was always up before he was.

“Hold on,” said Kate, rolling over to look at the phone. “It’s Richie.”

“What the fuck does he want at an hour like this?” Grumbled Al again.

“I don’t know, but I have to answer it. What if something happened.”

Kate started getting out of bed, taking the phone with her.

“Richie?” She answered in a whisper as she exited the room. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“You’re not laying next to me,” he said into the phone.

“Oh, baby,” sighed Kate, as she quietly made it past the other sleeping women and out the front door. She walked into Kisa and Marisol’s office, which was just down the hall from their living quarters. “I miss you too.”

“You have no idea how much I miss you,” he said. “It’s almost unbearable.”

“Yeah. A week was too long. I hate being away from you like this.”

“I told you it would be.”

“Well just imagine how much we’re gonna want each other tomorrow night,” she giggled. “I can’t even explain how much I need you right now.”

“We might not even make it through the ceremony,” laughed Richie on the other side of the phone.

“Oh no,” laughed Kate. “We’re making it through the ceremony. I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life, Richie. It’s the reception that might be a problem.”

His soft chuckle vibrated through the phone. It was soothing to Kate. She loved the sound of him laughing. She could even picture the face he was making right now, and it made her miss him even more.

“How was your night?” She asked. “I’m sure Seth took you to a strip club.”

“Not just any strip club,” chuckled Richie. “It was the best one around Huston. And he got us a VIP lounge with all you can drink, top shelf liquor. He really went all out.”

“I’m sure he did,” laughed Kate, shaking her head. “Did you have fun at least?”

“Yeah. It was a good time. Scott and Paul got completely trashed, they needed to be helped back into the buss, and then back in the door when we got back. Seth almost suffocated between a pair of boobs. He said they were almost as perfect as Al’s, which kind of pissed off Sean, but then he decided he needed to find out for himself. So he pushed Seth out of the way, and giggled like a girl as he did the same thing. Apparently they really were close.”

“You guys are idiots,” laughed Kate.

“Hey, I was the least idiotic one there.”

“And it was your party. Shouldn’t you have been the most idiotic one there?”

“Not with that crowd,” he laughed.

“Did they buy you lap dances? I’m sure Seth did at least.”

“Yeah, many,” he chuckled. “But no lap dance was quite as good as yours. I would have preferred you dancing for me.”

“Richie,” giggled Kate. “I’m not that good at it.” 

“Well I seem to like it better anyway. Plus your dances always come with a little something extra afterwards.”

“That they do,” smirked Kate, thinking about the extras she provided. 

“How were your strippers?” Asked Richie.

“You know about that?!”

“Al told Sean. He told us.”

“You’re not mad about it, are you?”

“No. Just a little shocked you went through with it.”

“You know you paid for it, right?” Chuckled Kate. “You mad now?”

Richie sighed into the phone. “No. I told her to do whatever she wanted to make sure you had a good time. I shouldn’t have expected anything less.” He paused as both he and Kate laughed about it. “Did you have fun?”

“The whole day was perfect,” said Kate. “And yes, the strippers were more fun than I thought. She got two guys and two girls, which I thought was an odd choice, but I guess it made it a little less awkward having the girls there too.”

“Weird. You sure she’s not into women? Even just a little?”

“I don’t think she is sexually, but she does mention when she finds a woman attractive. So she at least appreciates the form of a woman. But she said the girls were more for Kisa and Marisol.”

“Makes sense I guess.”

“I got lap dances from all four of them, Richie,” laughed Kate. “It was so strange.”

“Ha,” huffed Richie into the phone. “Good strange, or bad strange?”

“Good strange.”

“Like you would do it again?”

“Yeah,” laughed a smiling Kate. “But next time I was thinking of having just one guy dance for me.”

“Oh yeah? Two was too many?”

“I don’t know if I would say that. It wasn’t the number that was the issue, just the who. I was thinking of one guy in particular who I would like to dance for me.”

“Huh,” laughed Richie. “Sean said that might happen.”

Kate laughed at that. She loved Sean, he was a perfect fit for Al. He got her, and that only made them a great couple.

“You remember what Al was talking about in Chicago? When she said she had a plan for all of us?”

“You talking about before you guys had your lady’s night?”

“Yeah.”

“Unfortunately,” he grumbled.

“Well, I think she was on to something.”

“I had a bad feeling about that.”

“Sean said he would do it.”

“So that means I have to?”

“Yes.”

“Fine,” sighed Richie. “If that’s what you want. I guess it’s only fair. You do it for me all the time, so I guess it’s time I paid you back.”

“It most certainly is,” giggled Kate. “So I was thinking, and talking to Al about it.”

“Great,” interrupted Richie. “This can only get worse.”

“Would you stop,” laughed Kate. “I happen to think it gets better.”

“Go on.”

“So I was thinking New Year’s this year we do a different group activity,” smirked Kate. “They’ll both be out this year.”

“Well I guess that gives me time to figure some things out,” chuckled Richie, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Great!” Yelped Kate. “Oh I can’t wait.”

“Me either,” grumbled a sarcastic Richie.

They talked a little while longer, moving past the bachelor and bachelorette party shenanigans, and into the mundane. They discussed things that had been happening the last few days, and talked about the upcoming wedding. 

But by five in the morning, Kate was really feeling tired again. As much as she wanted to keep talking to him, because she missed him, she really needed to get some sleep. 

“I have to get back to bed, Richie,” she said. “I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait either,” he said. “To see you, or to be your husband, Kate. You’re gonna look so beautiful. I’ll just have to try to contain myself.”

“Richie,” said a blushing Kate. “I can’t wait to see you in your tux. You’re gonna look amazing in it. And the other guys will look so handsome next to you. I’m probably gonna cry, baby.”

“You’ll look perfect even if you do.”

“I love you, Richie,” smiled Kate.

“I love you too,” he smiled back. “Goodnight Kate. I wish I could kiss you right now.”

“You and me both,” she giggled. “Goodnight Richie.”


	4. Tying the Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate and Richie finally tie the knot. Oh, and one other little surprise.

It was just after seven on a warm, August, Sunday night in Houston, Texas. Kate was sitting in front of the large mirror in the guest room of the Jacknife, as the hairdresser was finishing up the final touches with her wedding day curls. She sat quietly in her white ‘bride’ robe as she did, unusually quiet. 

“Cat got your tongue, Kate?” Asked Al with a smile, as she sat on the bed behind them fully dressed and made up.

“What? No,” said Kate.

“You’re just more quiet than usual. It’s freaking me out.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one that always has something to say,” Kate smiled back. “Maybe you have us confused.”

Al chuckled at Kate’s remark, “I suppose you have a point. But you are being quiet, even for you. Don’t tell me you’re nervous.”

“Maybe a little,” blushed Kate.

“Why?” Asked Al with a quizzical smirk. “It’s just the biggest, most important day of your life. No need to worry.”

“You always know just what to say, don’t you?” Asked Kate, rolling her eyes.

Al chuckled again, “You have nothing to worry about, Kate. I saw the set up out back, it’s beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Everything is being taken care of. Marisol is out there right now dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s, and making sure every last detail is perfect before you even step close to it.”

“True, but it’s my wedding day, Al,” said Kate, giving her a look through the mirror. “Aren’t I supposed to be a little nervous?”

“I guess,” said Al. “But I’m the maid of honor. Isn’t it my job to reassure you not to be?” She paused, giving Kate a raised brow and a shrug. “Besides, you’re marrying Richie. You’ve lived with him for years, and slept next to him almost every night in the last year and a half. You’re practically already married, so what’s to be nervous about? It’s just an official ceremony for what you already have. When I got married, it was totally different. I was only engaged four months, and to a man I never even really dated. Sure, I knew him, knew him for years, but he went from family friend to fiance to husband in just four months. That was a real shocker,” she paused again to laugh. “And let’s not even talk about the wedding night. That, was awkward as shit. With Richie, you already know what you’re getting, a good, sweet man who loves you with every fiber of his being. And I’m sure you guys have the sex thing down by now, so there won’t be any surprises there either. And as far as the ceremony itself, everything is gonna to be fine. So there’s absolutely nothing to worry about, Kate. I promise.”

“Al. . .” said Kate, shaking her head.

“Kate,” said Al, still with that same smirk on. That’s when she decided on using a different tactic to get Kate’s mind off it, distraction. “It was super nice that Marisol offered to officiate. It’s pretty cool to find someone you already know to do that for you. One less thing to worry about on the long list of wedding plans.”

“Yeah,” said Kate, with a smile. “Who knew she had her Reverend certificate. Reverend Marisol Ojeda-Gonzalez. It has a nice ring to it.”

“It does, and on top of the convenience of the whole thing, she’s on her shit out there. Like a wedding planner and a Reverend all in one.”

“I guess she used to do a bit of that in the 90’s. She worked at a banquet hall as a party planner before she became a restaurant manager.”

“Before or after becoming a Culebra?”

“Both actually.”

“So she’s pretty young,” shrugged Al. “You can never really be sure with Culebras.”

“With Vespertilio either,” laughed Kate.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. A confirmation that I radiate youth and beauty,” she said with that classic Al grin.

“Well you’ll forever be twenty-eight, so I guess you always will.”

“Guilty,” she chuckled.

That’s when Kisa and Marisol walked through the door.

“Nice of you to join us,” said Al, raising a brow.

“I was here earlier,” said Kisa, giving her a look. “You know I went to help Marisol with some of the final touches.” She turned to Kate, “Everything is going to be perfect, Kate.”

A few minutes later the hairdresser, a friend of Marisol’s, proclaimed that Kate was done. She looked beautiful, and all the women agreed.

“Now let’s get you into that dress,” smiled Marisol. “We only have forty-five minutes until the ceremony begins.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Richie was fussing with his hair in front of the mirror in his and Kate’s bathroom. He was all dressed in his tux, and freaking out about screwing things up like he always did. Hence the fixing his hair for the last twenty minutes. It was one of the few things he could guarantee was going to be right, and he was going to be sure it was. Kate was so important to him, he wanted this to go perfectly.

He could hear the laughing and hollering from his bedroom as the guys finished getting ready. He knew Seth had brought out the shots and was waiting for him to get out there so they could finally have one. They were waiting for him, and he could hear Seth complaining about the long wait between the laughs. Typical.

The door opened to the bathroom, and Richie for sure expected Seth to be coming to complain to his face. He had no patience.

“I’ll be out in a second, Seth,” he said in slight aggravation.

“I’m not Seth,” smiled Jess as she walked over to him.

Richie turned to her, a look of confusion on his worried face.

As a bridesmaid, it was odd that she was in here with the guys. She got ready with Kate and the ladies earlier, but headed over here after she was done. Richie was her childhood friend, and she promised Seth that she would be here for the round of shots when they were all done getting ready. So she came in and hung out with the guys while waiting for Richie. He was important to her, so it was important to her to be there for him. Especially because she knew Seth would give him a hard time, and she figured he would need a little comforting. She knew how sensitive he was underneath it all.

“You look so handsome,” she said, walking up to him and straightening his tie. “Kate’s a lucky lady.”

He grumbled something under his breath that she couldn’t understand, but she knew the Geckos well enough to know they both did that when they felt uncomfortable with a compliment. Side effects of growing up with their father, she thought. Neither expected or really even liked when people were nice to them. They always seemed suspicious, like all compliments were somehow backhanded, and they were just waiting for the second part to come around. 

“No, really,” she smiled again, shaking her head. “You look fantastic. Kate’s gonna flip when she sees you. She’s not gonna be able to keep her hands off you. Did she pick this out?”

“No,” shrugged Richie. “She said I could find one I liked. But we did agree it should be navy blue. She said she likes me in navy blue.”

“I can definitely see why,” she giggled. “You almost ready? Seth really wants that shot now.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go then,” she said, looping her arm through his and walking him back through the door.

“Finally,” shouted Seth, as they walked into Richie’s bedroom. “I swear, Richard, you take longer than a woman when getting ready.”

Richie gave him a side glance and a grumble.

“Cheer up, Charlie,” smiled Paul. “It’s a nice day for a. . . white wedding. You look good, man.”

“Seth’s just a little too sober,” chuckled Scott. “You know he doesn’t like that feeling.”

“Shut it, Short Round,” said Seth, squinting his eyes in a glare. “Or I’ll take your shot too. You’re not even old enough to drink anyway.”

“Close enough,” said Scott. “And let’s not pretend that that’s the law you decided to follow.”

“Richie and I are reformed men, Scotty,” chuckled Seth. “Your sister doesn’t like the old way we used to do things.”

“So I get why he stopped, he’s the one marrying her,” chuckled Scott. “But I still don’t understand why you did.” 

Scott followed that comment by making the whipped gesture.

“We’re kind of a packaged deal,” said a slightly aggravated Seth. “I work best with him, so if he can’t, it’s just not the same.”

“Last time he tried that,” Richie butted in. “He landed himself in the pen.”

“Quiet, Richard,” said Seth. “That’s beside the point. The fact is, it’s probably time to focus on other things anyway. At least for the time being. Now you want this fuckin’ shot, or do you have any more snarky, little questions?”

“I have plenty,” smirked Scott. “But I’ll take that shot.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Stepped in Jess, running her hand along Seth’s arm, calming the beast. This was Richie’s day, and she wasn’t about to let these two morons ruin it.

“Fine,” said Seth. “Here, brother,” he said, handing one to Richie.

Everyone grabbed one of the shots and gathered around Richie.

“To my baby brother,” said Seth, with an evil grin. “Somehow finding a girl, and convincing her to marry him.”

Richie gave him a side glance, but everyone else just shook their heads and chuckled. They tipped their little glasses towards Richie, clinked them together, then threw them back.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

“Kate,” said Marisol, putting her hands over her mouth in awe. “You look gorgeous.”

Kate was now standing before the ladies, fully dressed in her white, wedding dress, and looking perfect. It was a slightly flowy, pure white, silky dress. It was sleeveless, but had straps that curved around her neck, holding her larger pregnancy breasts in place. It was simple and elegant, with just a touch of lace decorating diagonally across her chest and down one side. It suited her real well, and was absolutely perfect for this summer night wedding. 

By now, Jess had made it back from the guy’s dressing area. She, Al, and Kisa were gathered around Kate in their powder blue bridesmaid dresses.

“Te ves como un ángel,” said Kisa. “Perfect.”

“Almost,” said Kate, running her hands across her belly. “I wanted to be married before I got pregnant, not while I was pregnant. But hopefully it’s not too noticeable.”

“Kate,” said Al. “First of all, that tiny little bump of yours is adorable. You’re halfway through your pregnancy and you’re lucky enough to have this cute little bump instead of a giant baby belly. You couldn’t ask for better looking baby bump for this situation, especially at twenty-two weeks. Second of all, it’s barely even noticeable. The only reason people will even think about it is because we all know you’re pregnant. I’m sure some people will even forget when they see you walk down the aisle, you look so fucking perfect. So you have nothing to worry about. You’re beautiful.”

“You think so?” Asked Kate.

“Would I lie to you?”

Jess laughed next to Al, “Next to Richie, Al’s one of the most honest people I’ve ever met, to a fault. So if she says it, it’s true, Kate. She’s more honest than she has to be.”

“I’ve never seen a point to lying,” shrugged Al.

“Not even if a lie would save someone’s feelings,” smirked Jess. “No matter how brutal the truth may be.”

“If you didn’t want the truth, then why even ask?” Asked Al, with a smile of her own and a shrug.

“You’re hopeless,” laughed Kisa. “Just like Richard.”

Al just shrugged it off, obviously not seeing a problem with that.

“It’s almost time for you ladies head over,” said Marisol. “I’ve got to go. I have to be there in time to get everyone seated, and get Richie where he needs to be.” She leaned over to Kate and kissed her on the cheek. “No worries, mi amor. You look fantastic. You’ll do great.”

Then she headed to the ceremony area in the back of the Jacknife. They set the whole place up kind of like Kate and Richie’s first date. There was a designated ceremony area lined with hanging lights, and a reception area filled with more hanging lights and candles on the tables. They closed the place for the entire day as well, it was all theirs, and Kate couldn’t wait to see it for herself.

They had chosen an area pretty close to where their first date was too. It was honestly one of the most beautiful parts of the grounds. In fact, their table was going to be under the very same tree as it was for that very date, during the reception. 

But while Kate was sure the reception area was going to look amazing in the dim, romantic light, she honestly had no idea how the ceremony area would look. Yes, they had gone over all the details, and she had seen the things they picked out, but she had never actually seen it all put together. She just hoped it looked as good as she pictured it.

She was supposed to be walking down a white clothed aisle, lined with gold chairs. The end of each aisle of chairs was to have tall, glass vases with floating candles. The altar was actually a white, cloth canopy, surrounded with flowers, and a chandelier was going to be hanging in the center, lighting up center stage so everyone could see her and Richie tying the knot. The trees in the background and surrounding the whole area would be full of those hanging lights, giving the whole place a magical glow. At least that’s what Al kept telling her. 

That’s when Kate felt two strong hands on her shoulders. It was Kisa. She gently rubbed her shoulders while giving Kate a reassuring smile. It was an unusual act from the Culebra Queen, but Kate had noticed how she had softened since meeting Marisol. She must have looked as anxious as she felt though, if Kisa was going to try to reassure her.

“Relax, Kate,” she smiled. “Everything is going to be perfect. Just take a deep breath.”

“I’m trying,” sighed Kate. “It’s just… I’ve dreamt of this day my whole life, and it’s finally happening.”

“Yeah. You’re marrying the man of your dreams,” shrugged Al, with a smile. “So don’t you think it’s about time you stop freaking out about it, and start enjoying it? This is your day, Kate. Fuck everybody else, and just have fun.”

“Yeah,” added Jess. “Your relationship with Richie is solid. This is just a fancy party celebrating it. Nothing more.”

“You guys make it seem so simple,” said Kate, shaking her head and giving a little smile.

“It’s all in how you make it,” laughed Al. “So stop making it so difficult on yourself. I’m sure Richie’s making it difficult enough for the both of you. There’s no way he’s not panicking over there.”

“He really is overthinking it,” laughed Jess in return. “In true Richard Gecko style.”

“So you’re just gonna have to be the level headed one,” said Al, with a raised brow.

“Thanks,” sighed Kate. “I knew there was a reason I picked you as my maid of honor.”

“You know it’s just because you want to hear my speech at the reception.”

“Honestly,” said Kate, with a smirk. “That’s the part that worries me the most. Between you and Seth, I have no idea what to expect.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Richie was standing close enough now to see the whole ceremony area. He could see the altar, and his palms started sweating. This was real. It was really happening. He was about to marry Kate. All he had to do now was walk down that white, clothed aisle and wait for her under that altar. Then all he could do was hope that he didn’t fuck anything up. 

The guests were all seated in their golden lawn chairs. It was mostly just employees from their various bars, many of whom begged to be here just to see their boss marry the girl of his dreams. It kind of became like a tight knit, little family over the years, so it was a big deal to them. Then there was Sean and Roxy sitting in the first row with the Ranger’s wife and Scott’s girlfriend Toni. 

Off to the side, the string quartet was playing At Last by Etta James, one of the songs Kate picked out to have played for the guests before the actual ceremony. He had to admit it was a good choice. It was upbeat, but still got the point across. Luckily they were recording the whole thing, or Kate wouldn’t even get to hear how good it turned out, and she was the one who really wanted the quartet to begin with.

Richie saw Marisol at the front. She looked up from her little podium, where she was clearly looking over her speech, and smiled at him. After the next song, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, the quartet would stop playing until the ceremony began. That would be his cue to walk to the front.

As the song ended, and the quartet started the last one, he really started to panic. Then a warm arm spread across his shoulders. 

Richie looked down to see Seth at his side, he was looking at the scene in front of them.

“I’d have to say, Richard, you guys did a great job with this. Kate’s gonna love it when she finally sees it.”

“It was mostly Kate and Marisol,” said Richie, with a twinge of a smile. “I just sat around and nodded my head. I figured it was a good idea to just mostly agree.”

“You’re learning. Good boy,” laughed Seth. “I’d let them do all the planning myself. I mean, unless it got too ridiculous. I didn’t plan a thing for my wedding.”

“It was at a drive through chapel in Vegas after midnight. Did anyone do any planning for that?”

“Hey. True it had a drive through, but we got married inside at the altar. And, other than finding something to wear and picking out a bouquet, no. No other plans were made. It was nice and simple. It worked at the time, but I think at this point in my life, I would have liked something more classy.”

“Thinking you’ll do it again?”

“Never say never, brother.”

“Things getting serious with Jess?”

“She did decide to stay, so I’m taking that as a good sign.”

Richie gave Seth a look of approval and curiosity as they stood there quietly as the quartet rounded up the song. Towards the end, Richie was noticeably tense, fussing with his cuff-links, and pulling at his collar. Seth could tell he was starting to freak out.

“What are you freaking out about, Richie?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” answered Richie in slight aggravation. “I don’t wanna fuck this up.”

“Richie, it’s just one little ceremony. You have nothing to worry about. None of this changes anything about your relationship with Kate, except for the titles. She’s still gonna be the girl of your dreams. And you’re still gonna love her just the same, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And nothing about today is gonna change her feelings for you. This wedding is just one day. Don’t do you and overthink the whole thing. Just get through with it, and then you have the rest of your life to spend with Kate. So for once, just stop using that big, stupid brain of yours. All it’s doing is making you more nervous than you have to be. Suck it up, and enjoy it, because you’ll only have one wedding day. God knows you’ll never convince another woman to marry you.” He paused to laugh at the face Richie was now making at him. “Relax and have fun, Richard. Now get up there,” he said nodding to the altar, noticing the music had stopped. “You don’t want to keep your bride to be waiting, do ya?”

Richie gulped, took one big breath, and made his way to the front. It was his turn to walk down the aisle, but in just a few minutes, he would be seeing Kate for the first time in a week, walking down that very same aisle towards him. He knew she was going to be beautiful, and he was hoping he could just manage to keep his composure.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Kate was now waiting at her spot behind the white curtain at the back of the ceremony area. She knew all the guests, and Richie were just on the other side, waiting. She kept taking deep breaths knowing it was all about to go down.

Al walked over to Kate and handed her her bridal bouquet. It was all white, made up of white roses, white peonies, and white hydrangeas. Even the cloth band around the stems was white. It was beautiful, and was going to look stunning as she carried it down the aisle.

This was the first time Kate was seeing everything all put together, and it seemed they got everything right. The bridesmaids were wearing simple, flowy, thin strapped, sleeveless powder blue dresses, with a thin sash and a slit in front that came up to just below the knee. They were also wearing silver shoes, and matching silver, drop necklaces that Kate gifted them. 

Their bouquets were colorful, so they didn’t match Kate’s. They were made up of white baby's breath, pink roses, and baby blue, lavender, and pink hydrangeas. They looked fantastic next to the powder blue dresses. 

The groomsmen, and Freddie, who would be walking Kate down the aisle, were all gathered together in their navy blue, three piece suits. The vests were picked for the groomsmen in honor of Seth who was a fan of three piece suits. The whole outfit was topped with crisp, white shirts and pocket squares, powder blue ties that matched the bridesmaid dresses, and each wore a white rose and hydrangea boutonniere on their lapel. Kate thought they all looked so handsome.

Then there were the two, little flower girls. Billie and Emily each were wearing adorable, white, sleeveless dresses with beautiful lacing. They wore cute, little white shoes, and had their hair up in buns with little silver and rhinestone tiaras. They were holding their little, white wicker baskets filled with white rose petals, while both looking a little nervous, and standing close to their respective parents. It was almost too much for Kate, they were just too cute.

The only thing missing from this picture was Richie, but she would be seeing him shortly. He would be standing under the altar in his tux, and Kate was dying to see him.

They started lining up, it was about to start. Kate took another deep breath as they did. Before long, the quartet started playing Pachelbel’s Canon, and it was time to go.

First walked out Jess and Paul, walking arm and arm down the aisle. They were followed by Kisa and Scott doing the same. Next up were the maid of honor and best man. Al and Seth looped their arms, gave each other a nervous, happy, little smile, and headed down the aisle. Then Emily and Billie followed, standing side by side, tossing flowers as they headed to the altar.

Then it was Kate’s turn to walk down the long, white clothed aisle to the love of her life, waiting under the altar in anticipation. The music changed to Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis, a song Al suggested. At first Kate wasn’t sure about it, she wanted something more traditional. Richie liked it though, and he and Al somehow managed to convince her. 

But now, as she stood at her the edge of the curtain, she was sure it was the only real choice. Because despite everything that happened that first day, and everything since, she really couldn’t help falling in love with Richie. He was her soul mate, her one and only.

Freddie took her arm, and smiled down at her. Kate always dreamt of the day her father would walk her down the aisle, but he was no longer with them, so it couldn’t be him. Freddie was always there for her though, a real father figure, and so as far as she was concerned he was the only person who could stand in for her dad.

She took one last big breath as they rounded the curtain. All the guests were standing, and watching as she made her first appearance. But it was only Richie that she had eyes for. He was the only one she could see. He was standing under that white, flowing altar, looking as perfect as she imagined.

He was looking straight at her in awe, standing in his navy blue tux with black lapels. He was wearing a crisp, white shirt and pocket square, a black tie, the same boutonniere as the rest of the guys, and shiny black shoes. Unlike the groomsmen, he wasn’t wearing a vest, it wasn’t his style, but Kate loved it, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Richie looked at the love of his life as she walked towards him in her beautiful white dress. She was perfect, just like he thought she would be, so beautiful. He loved her so much, and he couldn’t believe this was happening. He was finding it difficult to blink, he didn’t want to miss a second of her approach. His normally slow heart was racing, and he was very aware of the fact he was having a hard time trying to keep his composure, it was starting to waver the closer she got. 

He took a deep breath as she came to the end of the aisle, now standing directly in front of him. He was supposed to meet her and Freddie, shake his hand, then take her arm, and walk her under the altar.

Kate could see the glistening in Richie’s eyes as she stood before him, it made her tear up too, watching him try to hold it all back.

Freddie let go of Kate’s arm as the music stopped. He reached out to shake Richie’s hand. He grasped it tightly, then did something totally unexpected, even to himself. He threw his arms around Richie in a big, manly hug. He was so caught up in what was actually happening, it was almost as if he was giving his own daughter away. And he was so happy for her. So happy that Kate was marrying a man that was going to be good to her. Sure, he knew it was still Richie Gecko, but he had every faith that he loved Kate to death, and that was what she deserved. Besides, Richie had changed a lot since they first met. 

Richie had done a great amount of good over the years. Including saving the world alongside Freddie on two occasions. And even though he could never truly forgive him for what he had done, he could at least give him credit for trying to turn things around. He didn’t think he was an evil monster any more, just a morally confused ass-hat, that was just as gray as the rest of them. A tortured soul, as Kate once put it. She could do worse.

The hug caught Richie off guard, the ranger barely even shook his hand. He tensed as his arms made it around him. It took him a second to think he should probably hug him back. It undoubtedly looked weird to everyone who saw it, as Richie just kind of stood there before making a move. 

And while it sure as shit surprised Kate, it totally made her smile. She knew they would never be friends, but she always hoped they would work out their differences. She knew this wasn’t exactly that, but it was compelling evidence that it was in fact possible.

Freddie broke the hug, still grasping Richie’s hand, looking him straight in the eye. A look that said promise to take care of her, or else. 

Richie gave him a little smile in return, and a nod. A look that told him he had nothing to worry about, that is exactly what he planned on doing.

As Freddie took his seat next to Maggie, Richie took Kate’s arm, and they walked together to the altar. They stood there, basked in the glow of the chandelier, as Marisol told everyone to be seated. Then she started the ceremony.

As she spoke her words of welcome, Kate and Richie just stared into each other’s eyes. They couldn’t take their eyes one another. It continued into Marisol’s introduction of the couple, sharing a few stories about how they came together, leaving out the gory details of course. But neither Kate or Richie really heard much. 

The gentle laughter of the crowd at a particularly funny story told by Marisol kind of brought both back into it, but only enough to know they too should be smiling. They looked at each other in complete happiness, warming each other’s souls with their simple smiles, and tightly holding each other’s hands.

It wasn’t a religious ceremony, so Marisol didn’t do a reading. She simply talked a bit about love, and how lucky Kate and Richie were to find one another. She mentioned how they seemed a perfect fit for one another, and as she grew to know them, she saw it more and more. 

“I saw how they loved each other long before they actually got together,” she smiled. “As I’m sure many of you did. It may have taken them a bit to figure it out for themselves, but I was so happy when they did. And it is a great honor being able to be here on their wedding day to officiate as they make their union official.” She paused briefly to look at them, seeing the way they looked at one another. It only proved to her more, just how much they were meant to be. “But enough from me. Let’s get to the part we’ve all been waiting for for so long. Both Kate and Richie decided to write their own vows for this occasion.” She turned to face Richie. “Richie, would you please start by sharing your vows with Kate?”

Richie nodded nervously and took a deep breath. He was still holding Kate’s hands, but he dropped one to get a little piece of paper from his pocket. He cleared his voice, gulped, and looked at Kate.

“Kate,” he started. “You are my everything. My love, my rock, my conscience, my world, and my reason for living. You are the sun to my moon. The light in my night sky. You are everything I’ve ever wanted or dreamed of in a woman, and make me happier, and more alive than I ever thought possible. I love you more than I can possibly explain, and couldn’t even imagine life without you.” 

He paused to clear his throat again, as his eyes began to tear up again. He wouldn’t cry if he could help it. Although Kate was just so beautiful, so perfect, and this was possibly the most difficult thing he had ever done. He was determined to make sure everything went right today, for her. So he wasn’t going to look like a crying, bumbling idiot as he read this to her.

“There will be many people who will think that this,” he continued, placing his hand on her belly. “Is the reason that we’re here today. But you and I, and anyone who really knows us, knows differently. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, even if I didn’t know it at the time. I knew you were the only one for me since you took my hand in that RV, even though it was possibly the worst way to have ever met someone. I knew I was going to marry you as soon as we started dating. It was always going to be you, Kate, or no one else. You’re the only one for me. My heart, mind, body, and soul have always belonged to you, and now you will be my wife. And I will be your husband.”

He cleared his throat again as his voice wavered. He was having an incredibly difficult time trying to get through without crying. Kate held his hand a little tighter, realizing the difficulty he was having, seeing his tearing up, and trying to convey that she didn’t care if he cried. He would still be her strong, tough, manly man. And she loved him. It was almost as if he understood her meaning, and continued as a single tear threatened to pour from his eye.

“So from this day forth, I vow to always be there for you, and our family. I promise to love you, to cherish you, to care for you, and to do whatever I can to try to make you as happy as you make me. I can’t promise to be the perfect husband, we both know that I’m gonna fuck it up from time to time. Starting with saying the word fuck in my wedding vows,” he shrugged as the crowd laughed a bit. “But I will promise to be good to you, and to constantly try for you. So no matter what lays ahead, be it good or bad, I promise to always be yours, and to love you until the day that I die. It will be my honor to have you as my wife, and be a privilege to be your husband. I love you, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

This is when the tear he was trying to hold back, finally made its appearance, but there was nothing he could do about it. And now Kate was tearing up too, it wasn’t making it any easier. 

“You are my one and only, Kate. The one I was born for.”

It took Marisol a few seconds to realize she had something else to say. She was also tearing up during his vows. She was so happy for them, but she shook it off and continued with the ceremony.

“And now, Kate, will you share your vows with Richie?”

A crying Kate, nodded her head and smiled. She turned to Al, who handed her the piece of paper with her vows. Unlike Richie’s tux, there were no pockets in Kate’s dress, so Al volunteered to carry them for her, tucked against her bouquet so no one saw them. 

Kate tried clearing her tears enough to look less like a sniffling moron during her turn. She hated that she was crying, but Richie’s teary eyes were making this even more difficult than it would have been if he was just saying these things to her, and that would have been difficult enough. 

“Richie,” she started, gaining enough composure to begin. “You are my best friend, and the love of my life. Growing up, I always thought my life was whole, everything that it needed to be, but as it turns out, it was never complete until I found you. I wasn’t looking for it when we met, but somewhere on the inside, I knew it from the beginning. You were the one, the only one. I think it’s because we make each other stronger. We make each other better. In my darkest days, a time when I wasn’t myself, I wasn’t sure I could make it out. But then there you were, reminding me of who I was, and how strong I had become. You always say that I’m the light in your night sky, but you were my light.”

Kate had to stop to take a breath. This was even more difficult to say than when she practiced. He was right here now, right in front of her, looking her in the eyes. She was crying, and smiling, and so was he.

“You are the one that brought me out of that darkness,” she continued. “Your love for me saved me, and reminded me that nothing could ever stop me from loving you. No matter what, it was always going to be you, Richie. There was no one else. Loving you has meant more to me than words can explain. I’ve dreamed of my wedding day since I was a little girl, and in those dreams it always seemed so perfect. In none of those dreams, though, was I marrying a Culebra ex-bank robber,” she said, giving a slight laugh, and Richie and the rest followed. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. As perfect as those dreams seemed, this day wouldn’t be perfect without you, the only man I’ve ever really loved.” She paused again, looking him directly in the eyes. “So now, as I finally become your wife, I promise to love you, to hold you, to care for you, to honor your, to laugh with you, and to be with you, in sickness and in health until death do us part. I’ve spent so long dreaming about this day, and I finally get to call myself your wife. You are the smartest, sweetest, and most loving man I have ever met. I love you, and can’t wait for us to spend the rest of our lives together as husband and wife.”

The crowd was silent, minus a few sniffly tears. Even Al was getting misty eyed behind Kate, and she hated herself for it. She never really was a crier, she didn’t even cry at her own wedding. But this was different. Al never could explain how and why Kate meant as much as she did to her, but she did, and seeing her here, marrying the man she loved, was just a little too much. She was so happy for them. 

“Beautiful,” said Marisol with a smile. “Just perfect. And now, before all here today, will you both make your intentions clear?”

Both Kate and Richie gave a smiling nod as they looked at their officiant.

“Richie,” began Marisol. “Do you, Richard William Gecko, take thee Kate, to be your wife? To love and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do,” he practically breathed.

“Do you promise to be there as her confidant, to support her, to encourage her, and to guide her? To share your life and heart with her? To respect her and put her before anyone else?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Richard, promise to be faithful to Kate, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?”

“I absolutely do,” he smiled down at Kate.

“And now Kate,” continued Marisol. “Do you, Katherine Marie Fuller, take thee Richie, to be your husband? To love and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

“I do,” she beamed into his eyes. 

“Do you promise to be there as his confidant, to support him, to encourage him, and to guide him?” Continued Marisol. “To share your life and heart with him? To respect him and put him before anyone else?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Katherine, promise to be faithful to Richie, forsaking all others as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” she smiled at Richie.

“May I have the rings?” Asked Marisol, turning to Seth.

He happily handed them to her. Then she took Kate’s ring and handed it to Richie.

Richie took the ring in one hand and Kate’s in the other.

“Richie,” said Marisol. “Repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

Richie repeated her as he slipped the ring onto Kate’s finger.

Then Marisol turned to Kate, handing her Richie’s ring.

“Kate,” she said. “Repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

With a shaky hand, Kate did was she was instructed.

“Then, by the power invested in me,” stated Marisol, turning back to the crowd. “I pronounce you husband and wife. Richie, you may kiss your bride.”

Richie smiled from ear to ear, something mirrored by Kate. He closed the distance between them, and kissed her. A kiss filled with passion and joy. A kiss that proved that she still was his everything, and that proved that he was still her one and only. 

When the kiss was done, Kate and Richie kept smiling at each other, keeping their foreheads pressed together as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I now have the honor of announcing Mr. and Mrs. Gecko!” Shouted Marisol over the crowd, as they clapped and whistled their approval.

Then Kate and Richie took each other’s hands and walked down the aisle, their first walk as husband and wife. Then the whole wedding party made it down the aisle to the sounds of the crowd and the quartet. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reception area was just as beautiful as Kate expected. The trees were filled with dangling lights, and strings of lights ran between them, hanging over the tables. Those tables were covered in white cloth, and had three centerpieces a piece, each made of three glass vases. Each vase was filled with water, had clear beads at the bottom, a submerged, white orchid, and a floating candle. They were set on top of a mirror, and teacup candles surrounded the base, giving it a soft glow. It was perfect to Kate.

She and Richie sat at their own table in front of everyone. The wedding party and their significant others sat at the table in the center, right in front of Kate and Richie. The rest of the guests sat at the three other tables surrounding them.

Both Al and Seth gave speeches, and both went surprisingly well. Neither went overboard, and stayed pretty mild. Naturally they were filled with laughs, but also light-hearted moments that painted a pretty nice picture of the couple’s love for one another. Al said hers after Seth, and finished with telling Kate she clearly didn’t have anything to worry about.

When she leaned in to hug Kate after the speech, she gave her a wink. Then whispered in her ear, “I might be a pain in the ass, but I still have class. You guys are too important to me to give you anything but a speech worth giving. Congratulations.”

Then the whole party raised their glasses to toast the couple. Followed by Seth, who enjoyed embarrassing Richie, clinking his glass with his knife, getting everyone to follow suit. After giving Seth a look that said ‘you know I hate this’, Richie finally turned to Kate, who grabbed him and gave him a big sloppy kiss.

It wasn’t long after that, that dinner was finally served. And while Marisol helped Kate with most of the other wedding planning, Al insisted on helping with the food. She even convinced Kate and Richie that perhaps a family style, Italian wedding meal was the way to go. Neither had ever really thought about that, since they had never been to a wedding like that before. But Al made it sound homey, fun, and slightly more romantic than the idea of throwing away half eaten plates of food at the end of the night. Everyone could have a little of whatever they wanted, and not just one giant plate of steak or chicken. 

Al, herself, checked out almost two dozen caterers in her search for acceptable food for the occasion. She narrowed it down to three exceptional choices for Kate and Richie to choose from. And so far, it seemed like they chose the right one.

While the wedding party was off getting pictures taken, the rest of the guests were enjoying the cocktail hour. Al made sure only the best dishes were offered, making sure the three caterers she broke it down to had a good list of options. 

The waiters walked around with trays of arncini di riso, fried, stuffed balls of rice. They also had pieces of toasted Italian bread topped with ricotta cheese, fig preserves, and drizzled with honey. There was also pan seared tuna and steak on toast bites, polenta bites with wild mushrooms and fontina cheese, clams casino, and fried calamari. There was even a table set up with a fruit tray, a veggie tray, a cheese and meat tray, and bruschetta. Al was a fan of options, and Kate and Richie couldn’t see anything wrong with that. They liked everything they tried when testing it out.

Luckily, after the pictures where done, there was still enough time and food for the wedding party to get a little as well. Kate had to pull herself away from the clams, they were so delicious. Richie, on the other hand, couldn’t wait for the ricotta fig toast. It was creamy, and both savory and sweet, and his favorite of the hors d'oeuvres.

But now the salads were being served. Each guest had a plate of Caesar salad placed in front of them; it was Kate’s favorite. Fresh baked bread was also brought out, along with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh shaved Parmesan cheese.

After that would be the main course, something Kate couldn’t wait for. She knew what she and Al picked, and her mouth was watering in anticipation. 

Since it was family style, large plates and bowls would be placed in the center of the table and passed around so everyone could try as much or as little as they wanted. There were many choices, just like the hors d’oeuvres, so everyone would find something they liked.

There was braised beef Bolognese over fettuccine, penne a la pesto, spaghetti with red sauce, ravioli with a cream sauce, Parmesan chicken, meatballs, Italian sweet sausage, seared Parmesan steak, and Kate’s favorite, seafood linguine. And everything looked and smelled so good. It was honestly perfect. Al was right, thought Kate, this was a good choice.

Kate watched as their guests marveled over the food, and listened to scattered conversations over the soft cocktail music. Then she turned to Richie, enjoying a mouthful of braised beef. She loved him. She loved this. This is exactly what she wanted in a wedding.

It was so different from what she imagined growing up. She was going to get married in her daddy’s church, they were going to have the reception at the best banquet hall in Bethel, and the whole thing was going to be as traditional as every other wedding she had been to. But this, this was more than that. It was better. An outdoor wedding under the stars, a soft glow all around as they ate their family style meal, and sitting next to this perfectly imperfect man who she loved with all her heart. He was many things, a thief, a murderer, a Culebra, a small business owner, a genius, the love of her life, and above all, her husband. It just couldn’t get any better. It couldn’t be any more perfect.

Richie looked over at Kate, still watching him. She smiled when he turned to her, looking in his big, blue eyes. Then she leaned in and wiped a small drip of Bolognese from his cheek. He had the slightest inclination to be mildly embarrassed, she was always cleaning up after him, but Kate loved it. Then she kissed him again. There was no clinking of glasses this time, just the need to kiss the man she loved.

When everyone had had their fill, and the remains were taken back to the kitchen to be boxed up, it was time for cake. A beautiful, three tier cake was wheeled out next to Kate and Richie’s table. It was ivory in color, beautifully decorated with white fondant roses and swooping fondant lace. It had white icing beads along the bottom of each layer, and simple icing decorations along the sides. Kate thought it was almost too beautiful to eat.

This cake was special though. Not only was it a wedding cake, but Al had devised a way to let everyone know a special secret as soon as it was cut. There was a surprise from Al on the inside. She was given one special task by Kate. Neither Kate or Richie told Al how they wanted it done, just that it had to be done. The delivery was all up to her, and she thought this was a perfect way to do it. Nobody would be expecting it. 

Kate and Richie cut into the cake together with everyone watching. Al was practically jumping out of her skin waiting for them to see what was on the inside. She was gripping Sean’s hand so hard, he thought it was entirely possible there would be bruises, if not broken bones. He had no idea what she was so worked up about, and he tried dislodging it from her grasp, but to no avail. 

Richie and Kate took their slice out, and placed it on a plate. Before cutting a bite to share though, they noticed a layer of blue cake between the regular white cake. They both looked at it a little confused. Why was there a blue layer in their wedding cake? They certainly never discussed that.

Then it hit Kate suddenly and she looked up at the still confused Richie.

“Oh my God!” She yelled in shock. 

Everyone went very quiet. It wasn’t exactly the reaction they expected when they cut into their cake. Was there something wrong? Most couldn’t see what was really going on either, it’s not like the whole thing was blue. 

“Al, is this what I think it is?” She asked, turning to her maid of honor.

“Yes,” said Al, grinning from ear to ear. “Congratulations!”

“Oh my God, Richie,” said Kate, putting her hands to her face, and getting a little teary. “It’s a boy. We’re having a boy!”

“A boy?!” He asked, looking up at Kate with big eyes. “It’s a boy?!”

“Yes!” She cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Then Kate turned to the crowd, holding Richie’s hand, and announced to the whole wedding party that they were having a son. The place erupted in cheers for the couple. The question was finally answered.


	5. Fresh Beginnings and Fresh Meat

Kate and Richie barely made it to their room before mauling each other. In fact, they were pawing at each other from the moment they stepped into the elevator, and it got less and less playful as they made it down the hall. It was their wedding night, and they hadn’t seen or touched each other in a week. It was too long.

Kate had her arms wrapped around Richie’s neck as they stood at the foot of the bed. She was kissing him feverishly, fingers entwined in his hair. His hands were wandering all over her body, desperate to feel her. 

That’s what finally brought Kate to her senses. She needed to get out of this dress. She loved it, it was beautiful and perfect, but it was also between her and Richie, and that just could not be.

“Mmmm,” she moaned, breaking the kiss. “Richie, help me out of this dress.”

He responded quickly as she turned around, unzipping and unbuttoning the pure white dress. When he got all the buttons done, Kate turned around again, facing him. She removed the straps from around her neck, and let the dress slip to the floor. It puddled at her feet, and she stood before him in her fancy, white undergarments. These were just for him, she picked them knowing he would like the surprise when he finally saw them. Pregnant or not, she knew she looked good in them.

Richie looked her up and down, hunger in his eyes. It wasn’t long before he gave her that ever so cocky, little grin of his. The one that drove her insane. The one that melted her insides. The one that set her soul on fire. 

That’s when he grabbed his tie, and started undoing it. He never took his eyes off her while he was doing it either, and Kate just knew what was waiting for her in those navy blue slacks.

“No,” she said, suddenly reaching for his hands.

Richie gave her a questioning look as he let go of his tie.

“I want you to keep it on. All of it.”

“You want me to keep it on?” He questioned, raising his brow again.

“Yeah,” said Kate, biting her lip. “You look so fucking sexy in your tux, Richie. We shouldn’t waste it. I want to look at you in it for awhile longer.”

“If that’s what you want, Mrs. Gecko,” he shrugged with a smile.

“Call me that again,” smiled Kate, playfully.

“Mrs. Gecko.”

“Mmmmm,” she said, biting her lip again. “I like the sound of that.” she paused, looking him over and noticing the menacing look on his face. She knew he liked it too, and wanted to show her just how much. “I want you to take me while standing at the foot of the bed, Mr. Gecko. I wanna see all of you when you do it.”

“You’re not supposed to lay on your back,” said Richie, somewhat concerned.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll prop myself up with the pillows so I won’t be completely on my back. I wanna see you. At least for a little while.”

Kate slipped her arms back around Richie’s neck, bringing his head down to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought his lips to hers. They kissed, not quite as feverishly as before, but still full of need and desire.

Kate used the kiss as a distraction as she slowly moved her hand down his chest. Richie only realized what she was doing when she was already tugging at his zipper. She pulled him out, freeing him, running her fingers over his already fully hard cock.

Richie moaned into the kiss as she stroked him. It felt so good to be touched like that. Maybe Kate was right, he thought. Even though the week was too long of a wait, it was going to be that much better. The need to feel her was overwhelming.

Kate broke the kiss and dropped to her knees in front of him. She gazed up into his blue eyes, and he stared right back into her green ones. There was so much lust on her face, something he thought for sure was mirrored on his own.

She brought his cock to her lips, and gently kissed the tip. It sent a shiver through his body. The light touch was just enough, and he knew he wasn’t going to last long if she tried teasing him. He could also tell by the look in her eyes, that that was exactly what she was going to do.

Kate brought his head completely into her mouth, running her tongue all over it, hitting that special spot. Richie moaned as she took more in. Then she pulled back, looked him in the eyes again, and kissed him one more time. Then she lightly kissed all the way down his shaft. She kissed his balls before kissing him all the way back up.

Then she took him in again, doing the same thing she did last time. She circled the tip with her tongue several times before going further down his shaft. This time, when she took it out again, she licked him thoroughly. She took his balls into her mouth gently one by one, then licked him all the way back up to the tip.

That’s when she wrapped her one hand around his shaft, and the other started gently toying with his balls. It was time to get down to business, and she took him fully in.

Kate bobbed up and down Richie shaft, her hand perfectly in sync with her lips, getting farther than she dare go. She used her tongue like a weapon, swirling it around him, and mimicking the motion with her hand. She knew this man, and this cock well, and knew exactly what to do to set him off.

“Mmmmm, fuck Kate,” he panted. “If you keep this up Katie, I’m. . . mmmmm.”

“What?” She asked playfully, after plopping him from her mouth, and smiling up at him devilishly while still stroking his length . “Gonna cum?”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “Ahhh, fuck. I’m not gonna make it baby.”

“Good,” she giggled. “That’s exactly what I want.”

“What about you?” He panted, as she continued stroking him and playing with his balls.

“That’s what the rest of the night is for.”

She smiled at the dumbfounded look he gave her, then flicked her tongue over that sensitive spot. She repeated it over and over, loving the reaction she was getting from him. She gave him another solid licking before taking him back in. There was no messing around this time. She sped up her pace and he moaned. 

He breathed another ‘fuck’ as his hips jolted forward. It was an involuntary reaction on his part, he always started thrusting his hips slightly when he was close. He couldn’t help the motion, and Kate loved it. 

Before long his hand was at the back of her head, playing with her hair lightly. His breathing sped up, breaths getting shallow. She knew he was close now, it was only a matter of seconds. So she kept at it, speeding up slightly, cranking up the intensity. She knew he couldn’t handle it when she did that, he was inching closer. 

Then he jolted quickly, moaning his familiar ‘ahhhh fuuuck, Kate’, as the first spurt of hot cum shot into Kate’s hungry mouth. She pulled away like she usually did, keeping his tip on her lips, leaving her mouth open enough for Richie to watch as she swallowed every drop that followed. 

She liked when he came on her chest too, but thought tonight was not the night for that. As much as she enjoyed pleasing him, she needed her turn. She needed to feel him, and she had no time to waste on clean up.

Kate continued stroking him until it was clear he was out of juice. He had this big, stupid smile on his face like he was waiting for that. And by how much came out of him, it was clear to Kate that he had in fact been waiting for it.

“Richie,” giggled Kate, looking up into his glossy eyes. “Did you really wait all week?”

“Yep,” he said with a lazy smile.

“Really? You lasted all week without jerking off? You? Richard Gecko, who wakes up every morning with a raging hard on, didn’t even take care of that once in the last week?”

“You said not to, so I didn’t,” he said, giving her a quizzical look. “Didn’t you?”

“Of course I didn’t,” laughed Kate. “I didn’t expect you to be able to though.”

“I mean, I didn’t say it was easy, but I did it.” Then he winked down at her and said, “Lot’s of cold showers.”

“Ohhh, baby,” laughed Kate, getting back to her feet. “You did that for me?”

“I’d do anything for you,” he said, smiling down to her. 

“Apparently even save a week’s worth of cum for our wedding night,” she giggled again.

“Hey, that’s what my wife wanted,” he shrugged with a grin.

“I love you,” said Kate, getting up on her tiptoes to give him a solid kiss.

“I love you too,” he said, after Kate broke the kiss.

“Good,” said Kate, with an evil grin. “Now show me how much.”

She leaned back on the bed, resting her back against the pillows she piled up for support. She spread her legs for him, inviting him in.

Richie took one look at her, sitting there in her white, lacy panties and matching bra. He loved how she looked in them, but wanted to rip them off so badly. He was going to make her scream for him.

‘What are you waiting for?” Asked Kate, biting her lip.

That was all it took. Richie was on his knees between her legs in a flash, giving her that cocky, little grin of his. He kissed up her legs, starting at her feet. He did one, followed by the other, then did it again. Then he reached up and started slowly pulling down her white, lace panties. When he finally got them all the way off, he moved in, kissing all around, but never quite where she wanted. He was teasing her, building the anticipation. 

“Richie, please,” begged Kate.

He gave her one last evil, little grin as he kissed the inside of her right thigh. Then he did as she asked, and kissed her extra sensitive clit.

She moaned as soon as his lips touched it. They brushed it ever so gently, but her need was overwhelming. It was raging through her body, and she desperately needed his touch. Desperately needed him to finish what he was starting, the pleasure he was about to give.

Richie loved hearing that moan. It proved that she needed it as badly as he did, and that meant she wasn’t going to last either. If he played his cards right, he figured he could get her to cum three or four times before getting back to full mast himself. And he always liked making her squirm before he pushed himself inside.

He gave her a gentle lick, just the tip of his tongue touching her sensitive flesh. Kate moaned again at the light contact, and he couldn’t stop the grin as it spread across his face. 

So he went back to work, avoiding her clit for the time being. He licked her up and down, and plunged his tongue inside her already soaked hole. But eventually, after repeating the action for several minutes, he gave her what she was looking for. He latched onto her clit, sucking it between his lips and licking it fiercely.

Richie carried out his assault on Kate’s clit with expertise, hitting all the right spots at all the right times. He was an expert at his craft, and was without for seven days, so his need to pleasure Kate was intense. It’s what he lived for.

Kate was whimpering and moaning as Richie edged her closer and closer to release. She grabbed his hair and panted his name in encouragement. And then, she was finally there, tumbling over the edge of her long awaited orgasm. 

Richie, ever the oral champion, kept right at it, never letting her hair pulling stop him from his main objective. He slowed it down a bit, giving her time to come back to herself, then when she was just at the cusp, he amped up the intensity once more. A minute later he had her singing his name again as another intense orgasm rippled through her body.

At this point, Kate was limp and totally satisfied. But Richie was not. He could feel his cock throbbing with his own need. He was fully erect again, but it was ahead of schedule. He figured it had to do with the long absence of his beautiful Katie. His body was calling out for more, longing for it’s home inside his bride. But he made a promise to himself, a promise to make her cum no fewer than three times before he entered her. And he was going to keep that promise.

“Mmmmm,” moaned Kate, as Richie kept sucking at her clit. “Ohhh Richie. Mmmmm. Ohhhh fuck, baby.”

He loved when she said the word fuck. He could never explain why it was such a turn on to him, but the only way it got better was when the word ‘me’ followed it. 

In keeping with his promise to himself, Richie kept right on attacking Kate’s clit. She kept making all these little sounds for him, biting her lip and tugging his hair. All of this was making his cock ache. He needed inside, bad. So he decided to hurry things along.

Richie took one long finger, and slid it inside Kate. She gasped in surprise as he did. He used it to stroke that spot just inside, while simultaneously licking her clit. It wasn’t long before she started whimpering again.

The whimpering soon turned to moaning as the double assault continued. He was hitting both spots, her clit and her g-spot, with relentless abandon. Every stroke or lick sending shock waves through her body. She was literally melting for him and he was lapping up as much as he could. Her body felt like jello, but the pressure was building between her legs. She was making incoherent little sounds, trying to form words and failing. And then it hit.

“Ohhhhhhh, mmmmmmm,” screamed Kate. “Mmmmmmm. Ohhhh Richie. Mmmmmmm.”

Her body spasmed as Richie continued to hit the right spots. She started shaking with the intensity of her orgasm, so he held her down with his free arm. He was going to make her ride the whole thing out.

Wave after wave hit her, each one stronger than the last. It seemed like forever before it finally started to subside, but in actuality, it was mere moments. Kate was lost in pleasure when Richie pulled away.

Kate blinked and Richie was now standing at the foot of the bed. He looked so God damn sexy in his navy blue tux, she thought. 

“Leave it on, baby,” she said, dazily.

“I know,” he said, giving her a satisfied grin. “You like me in it, and wanna see me fuck you in it.”

“Yes,” said Kate, biting her lip. “Fuck me, Richie. Fuck me in that sexy tux.”

She saw the shudder run through him, he never got tired of hearing her say that, and she loved it. Loved it like she loved the sight of him in the tux he wore at their wedding earlier in the night. Loved the way the only thing amiss about the outfit was the open fly and button, leaving him hanging out and fully erect. She just fucking loved this whole thing, this situation, this man, and the things he could do to her. 

This is what a wedding night should be like, she thought. This is why she wanted to be separated the full week. This need, this craving, this feeling, all coming together to create this palpable intensity. A spark between them. A spark they always had, but it was so much more now.

And that was when Richie was on her. Just like that, he found his home between her legs. Both let out a low moan at the feeling. Her the feeling of being filled, him the feeling of her tight around him. 

They looked each other in the eyes as he stood there, all the way in and not moving. They could see the desire in each other’s eyes, the hunger, the need. Then he started pumping his hips, moving in and out. Slowly at first then picking up speed. The feeling was intense, but he knew he had it under control. He already came once tonight, so he knew he was going to last. Last long enough to give Kate the best wedding night he possibly could. And with the little whimpering she was already making, he knew it was going to be a long night.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate was laying on her side facing Richie’s side of the bed. She was exhausted after Richie’s nearly endless wedding night pleasuring, but was waiting for him to get back into bed before falling asleep.

A few seconds later he emerged from the bathroom in his pj bottoms, and hopped into bed next to her. She giggled as he landed facing her, leaning on his elbow, with that cocky little grin of his plastered on his face.

“You satisfied?” He smirked.

“Shut up,” she giggled, pushing him in the shoulder. “What if I said no?”

“Then I guess I’d have to get back to work,” he grinned back, raising an eyebrow. “I can’t leave my wife unsatisfied on our wedding night. What kind of message would that send?”

“Just shut up and kiss me,” said Kate, shaking her head and giving him a gentle smile.

“As you wish. . . Mrs. Gecko.”

Richie leaned in and gave Kate a soft kiss. When he pulled back, he stayed close, leaving his forehead against hers and looking into her sleepy eyes. She was his wife now, he thought for what must have been the hundredth time tonight. And he was her husband. And they were going to have a baby together, a boy as they just found out.

“I love you,” he said, still gazing into her eyes. He placed his hand on her stomach and said, “And I love this little guy too.”

“That’s right,” laughed Kate. “It is a little guy. Now we know. You happy you don’t have to wait any more?”

“Of course. I mean not that it mattered to me if it was a boy or a girl, it’s just nice to know.”

Richie scooted down and put his face against Kate’s belly, something he had been doing for awhile now. He hadn’t been able to do it for a week now, and he was surprisingly upset at the lack of his nightly conversations during that time. He missed this almost as much as he missed Kate.   
“Hey little man,” he said, smiling at and rubbing Kate’s belly. “It’s Daddy. I know it’s been awhile since we last talked, but that won’t happen again. I promise.”

Kate smiled down at him. She loved when he did this. It was so cute to her, and she oddly missed it over the last week as well. She usually just sat there quietly listening to him, and often ran her fingers through his hair. So that’s exactly what she did, ran her fingers gently through his soft hair, while listening to the one sided conversation he was having with their son.

“I’m sure you were aware of this the whole time,” continued Richie. “But Mommy and I just found out you’re a boy. And that’s fantastic. I finally know who I’ve been talking to, my son. And I still can’t wait to meet you.” He paused to kiss her belly gently. “But I suppose in the meantime we should catch up.” 

He stopped to chuckle briefly, and looked up at Kate. She was watching him, and it made him smile. He loved when she played with his hair like this. Almost as much as he loved this whole situation. Just him, Kate, his beautiful new wife, and their unborn child, laying together in the warmth of their bed. It was perfect.

“Well,” Richie continued, looking back down at Kate’s belly. “Not sure if you’re aware, but Mommy and I are married now. So that’s a big change. It’s also why I was gone for the last week. Speaking of the last week, I guess there’s a lot you don’t know now. I should tell you about the party your Uncle Seth planned for me.”

“You’re gonna tell our son about the stripper party your brother planned for your bachelor party?” Asked Kate, giving him a quizzical look.

“An edited version,” he chuckled back.

“Fine,” she smirked. “I guess I wouldn’t mind hearing more about it either. I love when he makes an ass out of himself.”

“You and me both, baby,” he smirked.

Then he continued telling the baby about all the things that happened over the last week that he couldn’t share while he was away. Eventually Kate drifted off to sleep, still listening to his soft ramblings. She couldn’t have imagined a better way to end their wedding night.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 Moons Later

Ranger Freddie Gonzalez pulled into a nightclub parking lot just west of Huston. He parked at a distance, and stepped out of his big, black truck and into the early morning sun. He put his trademark black cowboy hat on as he walked to the scene of the crime. 

The lot was relatively empty at this time of the day, it wasn’t exactly regular business hours for the club. But there were about a half dozen squad cars scattered about the scene, and maybe about ten other vehicles parked throughout the lot. 

On his stroll into the heart of it, he was greeted by a friend of his, Officer Maria Morales. She filled him in on the way over.

“Club was hit last night,” she said. “The owner called it in this morning after the alarm company called to ask why it wasn’t set last night. He wasn’t able to get ahold of the manager who closed up last night, came by, found his car still in the lot, but he was nowhere to be found. Place is pretty trashed too.”

“Anyone hurt?” Asked Freddie.

“Not that we know of.”

“No blood?”

“None so far. Based on how many cars we found in the lot, we’re guessing he wasn’t alone when whatever happened happened. Unfortunately it isn’t easy to get a full count, some could have just left their car here overnight.”

“True,” said Freddie. “So we’re treating this like a missing persons case?”

“So far, but based on the other calls we’ve gotten in the last few months, we can’t rule out that it’s connected.”

“So we’re thinking more are missing besides the manager.”

“More than likely.”

Freddie remembered back two weeks ago when he walked up to a similar scene. Only this was a small truck stop bar off of route 20 instead of a nightclub. The place was trashed, and the bar manager was missing. Later they learned that three bar patrons were also reported missing, all abducted from the bar that night. Was this the same? Was someone hitting up bars in the early morning hours and abducting strangers?

That last one was only one in a string of similar missing persons cases going back months. Three other bars or clubs were hit with multiple missing persons. And before that, countless other missing persons cases that involved bars or clubs. Since nobody has ever been found, it can only be assumed at this point that most, if not all, are connected.

There was so little evidence at the crime scenes. Almost nothing to go by. It was obvious at the larger abduction sites that there was a struggle or a fight, but never much else to go on. Very little blood was ever found, and all they really had to go on was people being reported missing. There were no leads so far as to who was doing this or why. Nor was there any leads as to where these people were going, or even if they were alive or dead.

“Cameras cut again?” He asked, as he and Officer Morales stepped into the club.

“Yep,” she replied. “All power was cut off to the whole building. Just like the others.”

“So we know about what time this all went down, but again we have nothing about what actually happened. Let me guess, it was about closing time when they lost power.”

“1:40 in the morning. Ten minutes after last call.”

“At least they’re consistent.”

“The problem is,” she said. “Is who is they? And why are they abducting people from bars?”

“I have no idea,” said Freddie. 

Freddie was starting to think that it was entirely possible that they weren’t necessarily dealing with regular people. Sure, a group of humans could be up to it. A cult or something perhaps. But he knew what else was out there, lurking in the shadows. He’s seen some crazy shit since becoming the peacekeeper. Some crazy end of the world shit on more than one occasion. He couldn’t help the nagging feeling that something larger was at play here.

“So what’s the end game?” Asked Officer Morales. “They abduct all these people and then what? They killing them? Selling them on the black market?”

“I have no fuckin’ idea,” said Freddie. “Whatever the end game is, I’m sure we’re far from it.” 

“Why would you say that?”

“Every time it’s a bigger place, more people. They’re getting bolder. I have a feeling whatever they’re up to, they’re just getting started.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richie was reading in bed like he often did, some sort of crime novel, Kate noticed. She crawled in, and covered herself in the warm covers. She turned to him and watched him read for a bit, something she did on occasion. She read sometimes too, but he definitely did it more often. There was always a book on his nightstand. 

She didn’t want to disturb him, but something was on her mind lately, and she figured it was way past time for them to talk about it. She knew he would stop shortly anyway, it was almost time for his nightly conversation with their son.

“Richie,” said Kate, looking at her husband.

“Hmmmm?” He asked, never taking his eyes off the page.

“I think it’s time we talked about something.”

“And what would that be, Kate?” He asked with a smile, closing the book.

“Well, it’s just the baby will be born in about two months.”

“Yeah?”

“We haven’t even really talked about a name yet. The baby shower is in a couple of days, and I think we should have something to call him by then. People will be asking.”

“Hmm,” said Richie, scrunching his brows. “I suppose you bring up a good point. He is gonna need a name. Got any ideas?”

“Well yeah,” she giggled. “I’ve been thinking about this since I found out I was pregnant.”

“And?”

“I don’t know,” said Kate shyly, looking away. “But lately I’ve been wondering if maybe I should have considered something else. Do you want a Richie Jr.?”

“Only if you do,” shrugged Richie. “I never really thought about it, I guess, naming him after me. We don’t have to. In fact, I think I’d prefer if we didn’t.”

“Why not?” Giggled Kate. “Richie’s such a cute name for a boy.”

“It’s a perfectly good name, I agree,” he smirked. “But I don’t really like the idea of there being another man you call Richie. Plus then what, I’d have to go by Rich or something? I don’t think so.”

“Definitely not,” laughed Kate. “You’ll always be my Richie. I just wasn’t sure what you were thinking. Some guys really like that, so I thought I would at least ask. Do you have any names you like?”

“Some.”

“Well?” Smiled Kate, quirking her eyebrows. “Whatcha got? I wanna know what kind of names my husband would choose. Give me a top five.”

Richie smiled at being called husband. They had only been married a little over two months, and it still seemed surreal. How did he end up with this beautiful woman for a wife? He didn’t really know, but he was so happy he did.

“I was thinking I like James. Wouldn’t mind a Jimmy Gecko. Robert is a strong name, and so is Maxwell. Also really like Logan and Sam. What about you?”

“Hmmm,” she smiled. “All good, but some of my favorites would be Michael, Henry, Jackson, Luke, and Joey.”

“So nothing the same,” laughed Richie.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean we can’t come up with something we both like.”

“I had another thought,” said Richie, looking Kate in the eyes. “A few weeks back I thought about maybe taking a different approach. I think you might actually like this one.”

“Okay?”

“I was thinking maybe we could name him Jacob. You know, after your dad.”

“Richie,” smiled Kate. “That’s so sweet.”

Richie did his typical I’m embarrassed thing, and mumbled something under his breath while avoiding eye contact.

“You know,” said Kate, biting her lip. “I was actually thinking of something similar, but wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”

“Oh?”

“I was actually thinking of someone super important in your life to name him after.”

“Please God tell me you’re not talking about Seth.”

“No,” laughed Kate. “I was thinking of someone else, someone that I owe a lot to. Someone who helped me get the most amazing husband by taking care of you and guiding you. Someone who raised you into the wonderful man you are. What about Uncle Eddie?”

“Uncle Eddie?” Asked a shocked Richie. “But you never even met him.”

“I know, but I wish I could have. Besides, I think it’ll be cute. Eddie Gecko.”

“I like the sound of that,” smiled Richie. “But what if we name him after both?”

“You mean Uncle Eddie and my dad?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“Hmmmm,” said Kate, quirking her lips into a slight smile. “Edward Jacob Gecko. I think it sounds perfect.”

“Then it’s settled?” Smiled Richie.

“Yeah,” giggled Kate. “I think we figured it out.”

“You hear that?” Asked Richie, leaning down to Kate’s belly. “We finally have a name for you. What do you think of the name Eddie?”

The baby kicked at Richie’s hand as he placed it over her belly. It was something that still brought a smile to both of their faces every time he did it.

“Not sure exactly what that means,” he chuckled. “But I’m gonna go with you like it. Do you agree, Katie? Do you think our son likes his new name?”

“I think so,” she smiled back. “I don’t see why not. It’s a perfectly good name.”

“What do you think our little Eddie will be like?” He asked.

“Perfect,” smiled Kate.

“I hope you’re right,” said Richie leaning in for a gentle kiss.

When he pulled away from Kate’s soft lips, he continued to gaze into her eyes. He loved this woman, and she loved him. And they were about to start a family together, with this perfect, little son of theirs, finally named Eddie Gecko.

“So Eddie,” said Richie, leaning his head against her belly. “Wanna hear about the man you’ll be named after? It’s a story filled with adventure, crime, drama, and of course Uncle Seth’s shenanigans.”

“What about your shenanigans?” Giggled Kate. “You’re just as guilty of giving that man trouble as he is.”

“Maybe,” chuckled Richie. “But maybe we’ll leave that part out. Wouldn’t want to give him any ideas.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The young, dark haired man was sitting in his cell. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he had been in here any more, but it was months. Many months for sure. He looked ragged and tattered, almost unrecognizable, not that anyone in here cared to recognize anyone anyway. 

There were no mirrors in his cell, and if it wasn’t for the treatment he received after several of his wins, he wouldn’t have even seen himself since he arrived here. When he did see himself though, it was like a monster staring back, nothing like what he remembered.

He lasted longer in here than he initially thought. After going through several rounds of torture, the initial starvation, and seeing the barbaric life or death fights held daily, he thought it was only a matter of time. It still was, he thought. There was no telling when his luck would run out, or when he would just grow too weak to keep up.

He, himself, had fought and won dozens of fights in his time here. Funny, because he was never much of a fighter, never choosing a fight if there was another way out. Ironic, he thought, that getting beat up so often as a child and having to learn how to defend himself would actually help him later in life. It’s what got him this far.

It was rare that he had thoughts like this anymore. It seemed that this life he was handed had made him immune to the violence. Addicted to it really. What used to be something that was rather unappealing to him, was more of a need now. He lived to fight, and fought to live. It was a part of his nature now. This place woke the beast within, and from time to time, when he had a free moment to think about it, he started thinking of himself as monstrous.

He didn’t choose to become a werewolf, it was forced on him. He always was a heavy drinker, and knew it would get him in trouble one day. That day happened to finally come about four years ago when his drunk ass picked a fight with the wrong guy. That guy had friends, and somewhere, one of them was not quite human. That, or none of them were, but he’d never know for sure. He was cold-cocked, and knocked out. 

When he woke up sometime later he was naked on the side of the road, and was covered in blood. His nose was certainly broken and bleeding, he unfortunately was already aware of what that felt like. He could tell he had at least one black eye, and there was a huge bite mark on his forearm. What the fuck that was doing there, he had no clue.

It wasn’t until the fever hit a few hours later that he realized something bigger was at play. He nearly died, but somehow managed to pull through. Unfortunately that wasn’t the end of the ordeal, as a week and a half later he turned into a wolf. He freaked the fuck out, but as he got used to his new life, he thought he had somehow managed to get over the worse part of everything. Then he woke up here, and he was sure he now knew what Hell was actually like.

Countless new faces came and went since he got here. Now it even seemed like there were more than before arriving fresh. He witnessed the few who made it through as they changed like he did, turning into something else. There was something that happened behind that door, the room where Michael was, that changed you. It broke you, and desecrated your very soul. It happened to everyone that made it out. Whatever he did, it turned you into someone that you never thought you were capable of.

It was then that he noticed that there was a sound down the hall, a door opening. Then there was the familiar sound of shoes being dragged across metal, the sound of fresh meat being dragged in. 

Three pairs of guards followed each other in, each dragging a new, unconscious prisoner between them. The prisoners were each tossed into their new homes, including one in the cell next to him. 

For fear of retaliation, he didn’t even dare look until the guards left, he hated being tased. It’s not like he was in a hurry to see the new, unchanged, fresh, and clean individual next to him, he was just curious who would be waking up and panicking next to him later. It happened every time.

This time, however, it was a young woman. Not that that was uncommon, everyone was kept in the same area, and all were expected to fight each other regardless of gender. But for him personally, this was his first woman neighbor. He watched her cautiously, waiting for her to arouse from her slumberous state. 

He didn’t have to wait long, about thirty minutes later she started stirring. That was quick, he thought, some of them were out for hours. 

She wasn’t facing him, so he couldn’t see her expression, but he imagined a look of confusion overtook her face as she realized she didn’t know where she was. That feeling was all too familiar to him. 

He watched as a few moments later she sat up and whipped her head around, trying to get a grasp on where exactly she was. He heard her mumbling to herself as she started panicking. Then he caught her eyes as they landed on his.

“Hey,” she whispered, crawling to the bars that separated them. “Where are we?”

He said nothing. He wasn’t actually sure when the last time he spoke was, wasn’t sure he could form words if he tried. The guttural grunts and growls associated with fighting for his life were the only sounds he made now. 

“Did you hear me?” She asked a bit louder. “Where the fuck are we?”

Again, he said nothing. This seemed to piss her off.

“You deaf or something? You gonna answer me? What the fuck is this place?”

A small smirk spread across his face and he continued to stare at her quietly. It was then that he gave her to only greeting he knew anymore. He flashed wolf eyes, and gave a low growl. Then a chorus of howls, growls, and hisses filled the cell block, accompanied by dozens of glowing eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a co-working and friend, who we lost on Nov. 5th, 2019. And also to someone who was close enough to me to be considered an Aunt, who we lost earlier this year. You were both taken from us far too soon, and for reasons none of us will ever fully understand. And to anyone else who is having similar thoughts or feelings, I promise things will get better. No matter what you might be thinking, there is always someone willing to listen, someone willing to help, and someone who cares. RIP Jimmy. RIP Eileen. You are and will be missed.


End file.
